


Sander Sides: The Four Heroes of Old

by DeltaLoraine



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Fluff and Angst, Hope to do the fandom justice, Human Sides (Sanders Sides), Hurt/Comfort, It's ya bois, M/M, Magic, Prinxiety - Freeform, Saving the World, The Fanfic I Always Wanted to Write But was Never Confident Enough Too, This could be a long story sooo I might have to make another book to continue it, logicality - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2019-10-27 07:04:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 43,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17762102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeltaLoraine/pseuds/DeltaLoraine
Summary: (FIRST STORY)Sanders Sides Adventure AU /Logan, Virgil, Patton, and Roman get into some deep shit when they are transferred from the world they call home to a magical world filled with dragons, witches, and an evil darkness that wants them dead. Will the four of them band together and defeat the darkness as the prophecy fortold? Or will the stress of survival drive them apart?*******************************************************SHIPS ❤️LogicalityPrinxietyPlatonic LAMPJust a fair warning, I tend to write more dark stuff. Haha I'm a sucker for dramatic stories.I'm also new to this whole, writing and posting stories online thing, so I'd love to hear back from you guys!





	1. The Last Night

"Tonight's the night, Angela!" Patton said excitedly as he danced around the empty cafe, sweeping the floor.

He'd been working at the Dream Bean Cafe for 6 months now, and it was his favorite gig in the world! He got to bake delicious pastries, drink tea, meet people, and hang out with his lovely coworkers: Jay, Mick and Angela. He loved working the register and serving people at their tables, always trying to make them smile. The cafe was small and had a 'Dream' theme to the decor. The walls were dark blue and had constellations on them, as it went up to the ceiling, the color blended into pink clouds that had various dream-like worlds filled with rainbows, unicorns, sunshine, and yummy sweets. It was the most adorable place in town!

Jay and Mick had worked the early shift, so it was up to Angela and Patton to close up that evening. 

One thing about Angela was that she loved Lolita fashion. She had long pink hair with bangs and a big white bow on her head. She wore a frilly, pale-pink dress with a white apron slightly dusted with flour. While she's usually shy around other people, Patton always got her to smile. 

Angela stood behind the counter, wiping down the display case. Her phone sat by the register, playing some fun songs to make clean up more interesting. 

"It's finally the premier of Roman and Virgil's play!" She smiled, pausing for a moment. "Oh shoot what was it called...?" Angela shrugged sheepishly. Patton twirled over to the counter, holding the broom like it was his dance partner.

"It's called 'The Last Night!'" Patton said, striking a pose and the end of the song. Angela laughed at his silliness.

"Ah that's it. Oooh wait, are you still going with..." Angela voice dropped to a whisper. "...You know who?" She winked, drying off the tea cup she held in her hand. Patton leaned his elbows on the counter and bit his lip.

"...I'm picking him up on the way." He blushed.

"Aw yay!" Angela cheered. "I swear, if he doesn't figure it out by now, he never will."

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I'll give up!" Patton exclaimed, he looked at the clock on the wall. "Speaking of which... I should head out soon!" He said excitedly, hurrying towards the door.

"Wait Pat! Don't forget the pastries for the theatre!"

"Oh my goodness! I almost forgot those! You really are an Angel." Patton said with a grin. She laughed softly at the pun. 

He ran behind the counter and grabbed the tall stack of white boxes. He carried them carefully to the front. Angela opened the door for him, causing the little bell above the door to ring. Patton thanked her and stepped outside heading to his car.

"Oh Patton! I put some extra jam-filled donuts in the top box." Angela said with a smile. "I know he really likes those."

"Oh. My. Goodness. I would SO hug you right now if I wasn't holding this stack of sweets." Patton called out. "I owe you one!"

"You'll just owe me a hug tomorrow!" She laughed, waving from the cafe entrance. "Good luck!"

 

******

 

Logan stood in the back of the library, putting a book in its proper section.

He'd only been working at the Crescent Library for a few weeks. 

Before that he was a researcher working with plant viruses and their effect on various species. He enjoyed his work there...except for the management. His boss was an old, grouchy, man named Martin and he absolutely hated absolutely anything even remotely LGTB+ related. While Logan was not very open about his orientation, his coworker Anton was very out front with it. He was proud of who he was. This of course caused a lot of tension around the lab. One day Anton and Martin were in a heated argument and it ended with Anton being fired. Logan quit then and there to support his friend. Martin was shocked to say the least, Logan and Anton were his best employees after all, but his pride and values were too skewed to try and keep them.

So Logan was unemployed for a while. He kept applying places with no luck. It wasn't until one day he was approached with a job proposition by a random, short, old man in a brown Panama hat and a matching jacket on Main Street. Logan thought it was odd that the man knew he was unemployed, but he really needed the money. So he followed the old man to a Library that was tucked away from the busier streets. When he walked in, there was hardly enough space to move. It was littered wall to wall with books, maps, paintings, antique globes, compasses, and treasure chests. It was incredible, but extremely messy. The old man introduced Logan to his one other employee, Alice, who was petite with short black hair and round, thin-framed glasses. The old man showed Logan the ropes and encouraged him to read and study whatever he wanted. It was almost like a dream come true for him.

Ever since that fateful day, he's been working there. Reading books and organizing the place.

He got to know Alice very well in those few weeks, since they were the only two employees. They had a lot in common. Both had a love for knowledge and were socially challenged when it came to people. Logan was at least indifferent to people rather than fearful of them, so he worked the front desk to save Alice from the stress.

Fortunately, barely anyone came in, including their boss, so they were usually left to their own devices. 

Logan put the books on the shelf, scanning to see if any were out of alphabetical order.

"Woah, Logan, look at this one." Alice said as they came around the corner. "It looks like a really old book...but I have no clue what any of this says." They flipped through the pages.

"Hmm, let me see." He leaned over their shoulder. "Oh, that's because it's in latin... Indeed this must be a very old book." Alice handed it to him. He closed it and looked at the spine, reading the title.

"Compendium Maleficarum, which basically translate to a 'collection of evil or wickedness'" He stated, opening the book back up again. "And by the looks of it...this book is on the practice of witchcraft." 

He nodded, confident in his analysis. He handed the book back to them.

Alice's face lit up. "That's so cool! You know, this place so much more fun when you're here to translate stuff." 

Logan smiled. "Glad I could be of service."

Alice began flipping through the pages again, looking at the pictures and diagrams.

"So, I'm still closing up for you tonight, right?" They said without looking up.

Logan was taken aback a bit.

"Closing up?"

"Yeah! Don't you remember? Your friend's play is on tonight." They laughed as Logan face-palmed himself.

"I...completely forgot..." He shook his head. "That means Patton will be coming soon."

He looked around the library.

"You sure you'll be alright here by yourself?" 

"Dude, it's a graveyard in here! I'll be fine. Go have fun with your friends, you know, be social!"

"Seems... rather hypocritical coming from you..." Logan said with a small grin.

"Pshhh...whatever. That doesn't matter!" They laughed and waved it off. "What matters is that you, sir, are going out!" They walked up in front of Logan, studying him. 

"Now let's just fix this..." Alice straightened Logan's blue tie and carefully fixed his dark brown hair. "Annnd....Perfect. There you go!"

Logan smiled, "Thank you, Alice."

"No problem, Logan." Alice put their hands on their hips. "Us bookworms have to stick together!"

Logan nodded in a agreement. "If you ever need anything, let me know."

"Will do, my friend."

Just then, the bell above the front door jingled.

"Helloooo?" Patton called out from the doorway. Logan stood shocked at how soon Patton got here.

"We'll be over in a sec!" Alice laughed at Logan, grabbeing his arm and leading him through the maze. "You'll be fine, Logan." 

Alice pushed him in front of them as they rounded the corner, seeing Patton standing by the door. He was wearing his sky blue polo with a grey cardigan, buttoned up half way. He lit up when he saw Logan, his freckled cheeks slightly blushing.

"Greetings, Patton." Logan nodded to him. 

"Hey Logan!" Patton said with a smile, "Hello Alice!"

"Hey there you bundle of joy!" Alice went over and gave Patton a hug. "I hope you guys have fun tonight! Tell Roman and Virgil I said hi, will ya?"

"Of course! I wish you could come with us..." Patton said, looking at them sadly.

"Yeah me too..but I have a duty to uphold! The old man is strict on keeping Library being open until 9pm for some reason...." Alice shrugged. "But you guys should go!" They pushed Logan towards Patton with a smile. "Don't want to be late after all!"

Logan cleared his throat. "Yes, Alice is probably right." He went and held the door open. "Shall we?" 

"We shall!" Patton smiled, walking out with Logan right behind him. "Thank you Alice! Have a good evening!"

"You too! Have fun!" They said, leaning against the doorframe. 

 

******

 

"BOO!" Virgil jumped out behind Roman's chair.

"AHH!" Roman shrieked, throwing his eyeliner pencil up in the air, catching it again. "You! Yo--" He stuttered, flustered at the interruption of his pristine make up process.

Roman and Virgil worked together at the Carroll Theatre. 

Roman had been apart of it for 3 years now, taking up many lead acting roles in a multitude of plays. Nearly everyone in town knew who he was, and the small theatre would easily sell out of tickets when he was performing. Virgil on the other hand joined the theatre about 6 months ago. He was working a few small jobs, but was still looking for a better way to get stable cash. Roman knew his manager needed an extra stage hand, so he got Virgil the job. Over time Virgil got experience in almost all the departments around the theatre. He worked with costumes, lighting, sound, props, and even a little bit of script writing. The only thing he really hadn't done was act, and no matter how much Roman tried to convince him, it was NOT going to happen.

This time around, Virgil was in charge of the sound booth and Roman was playing the role of a prince in a forbidden love story.

Roman had his royal costume on and was putting on the last touches of his stage make up. A prince had to look his best after all. And it was going swimmingly until Virgil showed up...

"You of all people should know to NEVER scare someone putting on eyeliner!" Roman glowered at Virgil from his make up chair, turning to face the mirror once again.

"Well, I don't take forever like you do, Princey." Virgil smirked, resting his arms on the back of Roman's chair and looking at him through the mirror. His dark brown hair resting over his eyes.

Roman ran his hands through his dishevled auburn hair. "Don't you have some discos to panic at or something?" 

"Hey, someone's got to make sure you actors are on track." Virgil laughed.

"Say what you will, sound boy. This is a very important aspect of my performance." Roman said with an entitled grin, eyeing Virgil in the mirror.

Before Virgil could reply, his phone ringed. He took it out of his black hoodie pocket and answered, pacing behind Roman, who was finishing his eye liner.

"Hello?...Oh hey Patton....Sweet, yeah, I'll open the door for you....haha, see you soon, Pat." 

Virgil hung up.

"Looks like they're here."

"Even the nerd?" Roman asked quite surprised. 

Virgil laughed. "Yeah he is. I guess Patton finally dragged him along....I'm going to let them in. You coming?"

"I'll be with you in a few. Just a couple things left to do." Roman responded, fixing up his outfit.

"Alright, don't take too long, your 'highness'." Virgil mocked with air quotes, heading out through the door.

He walked across the stage and to the other side of the building. He found the back door and opened it up, revealing Logan and Patton.

"Hey, guys." He waved, putting his back against the door to keep it open. Patton and Logan stepped inside, both carrying white pastry boxes.

"Hey Kiddo! Thanks for getting the door." Patton beamed at him.

"...I'm still only a couple months younger than you, Pat." He laughed. Patton just smiled and shrugged, walking past him.

"Good evening, Virgil." Logan greeted. "Where would you like us to put these?"

"Oh, over here is good." He led them to a couple of tables near the wall. They laid out the boxes, napkins, and utensils on the table. Patton turned and immediately embraced Virgil.

"Are you excited!?" He asked. "I know you helped write part of it. It's got to feel amazing to have your work put out there!"

Virgil smiled sheepishly, hugging Patton back. "Yeah...a little nerve wracking, but overall it should be fine...right?"

Patton pulled back, holding Virgil's shoulders. "Of course! It'll be great! I have a good feeling the audience is going to love it."

Virgil smiled and nodded to Patton, even though he was still nauseous at the thought of people judging his work. He looked over at Logan who was standing politely to the side.

"Thanks for coming tonight, Logan... I know it's hard to get away from your job, but I just wanted to say that we really appreciate it." 

Logan looked at him guiltily, realizing how much he might have missed by not coming to the last few shows. "Of course. I'm glad to be here to support the two of you in your endeavors." 

"Well well well! If it isn't my two favorite 'glass' clowns!" Roman declared, coming up behind Patton and Logan and putting and arm around each of them. "Get it?...'class clowns'...'GLASS clowns'...you know, cause you both wear glasses..." He laughed at his own joke along with Patton. Virgil and Logan groaned in unison.

"Hey Roman!" Patton gave him a quick hug, which Roman returned. "I bet you're excited for this role! Your costume looks great!"

"Ah yes! All my life has been leading up to this moment! The ultimate part!!" He gestured dramatically into the distance. "It was simply meeeant tooo beeee!" He finished in a sing-songy voice. 

Virgil groaned again.

A couple stage hands came through and saw the food. They thanked Patton for bringing it all and called in the rest of the members. Everyone swarmed the table. The four of them got their own pastries too. Roman got a chocolate eclair, Virgil got a vanilla cupcake, Patton got two chocolate chip cookies (one in each hand), and Logan was happily munching on a jam-filled donut.

"...It's uh... getting a bit crowded in here." Virgil stated as everyone gathered around the table.

"Oh, how about we hang out outside?" Patton suggested.

The four of them agreed and stepped out the back door and into the alley, finishing up their sweets.

"Good heaven's Patton, those pastries are incredible!" Roman announced. "looks like I need to stop by your cafe more often!"

"Aw thank you, Roman!" Patton smiled gratefully. "I really do have to thank Angela tomorrow."

The four of them chatted, catching up after a while of not seeing each other. They've all been friends since high school, but ever since they graduated and split off on their own journeys, they've seen less and less of each other. They found that the Carroll Theatre performances were their best way of getting together, because then Roman and Virgil could hang out after the show. Patton didn't have too hard of a time getting off work, but Logan was almost always working a shift at the library. It was only him and Alice after all. 

Having the four of them together was a rare occurrence, so this was their lucky night.

"You guys should all come to my place after the show!" Patton said excitedly. "We can have drinks and watch Netflix!"

"That sounds so great right now..." Virgil admitted, just wanting to cuddle up on a couch and watch movies all night.

"That would be spectacular, Patton. Great idea!" Roman agreed, he walked over to Logan and put an arm over his shoulder. "You're coming too right, Pocket Protector? I know for a FACT you are free the rest of the evening."

Logan hesitated for moment. He would need to take an early shift tomorrow for Alice. He should probably just go home after the show to get some proper rest before....

He locked eyes with Patton, who was looked at him expectantly. 

Oh god. 

Patton had a hopeful look on his face. His eyes seemed to beg like a small child's would.

...How could Logan say no to that?

"I think...yes, it would be nice to get out for a bit." Logan said finally.

Roman and Patton cheered enthusiastically, causing Virgil to laugh at their ridiculousness.

Their celebration was cut short by a sudden strong wind that came blowing through the alley, catching all of them off guard. 

Virgil got a twisted feeling in his stomach.

The four of them looked upward to see dark, foreboding clouds drifting over the night sky. It started to rain heavily.

"What the hell is going on?" Virgil yelled out. A flash of lightning struck the ground 10 yards away from them. He jumped and grabbed Patton's arm out of fear.

"JESUS!" Roman jumped back.

"We should get inside, NOW." Logan called out over the wind.

They made a rush for the stairs when the ground shook intensely, causing them to fall to the ground. They were disoriented by the loud crashing thunder, slippery pouring rain, and what felt like the whole world shaking beneath them. 

Virgil lied down in the fetal position, covering his face and ears with his hands, breathing heavily. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening.

Roman tried to stand up and reach for the railing on the stairs but couldn't keep his balance. He just needed something, anything to hold onto. This was insanity!

Patton sat next Virgil, holding onto him as he looked at Logan with a scared and confused expression as if asking him what was going on.

Logan tried to move closer to him when the ground under them crumbled and gave way. 

Each one falling into the darkness below...the surface becoming smaller as they fell...

 

Everything went black.


	2. A New Beginning

Logan sat up groggily. His head pounded against his skull.

What happened last night?

He had a strange dream about being in a theatre, Roman, Virgil, and Patton were there. They were talking... there was a storm... Strange.

He figured he must have been reading too much again. He instinctively reached for his glasses on the nightstand, but was met with dirt instead.

Wait...dirt?

He opened his eyes and saw an out of focus view of a forest. Trees and other plants surrounded him, fading sunlight streaming through the leaves above. He felt the soil beneath him, contemplating how on Earth he got here.

He took a clump of dirt in his hand and felt the pieces crumbled between his fingers.

This was too real... it couldn't be another dream, could it?

He felt around the forest floor, fumbling to see if his glasses were near by. The foliage was thick and it was hard to tell where they were. Suddenly he heard a voice from near by.

"Dear Evan Hansen! What is this place?"

Logan could recognize that voice anywhere.

"Roman?" He called out. He heard a gasp.

"Logan!? Is that you?"

"Yes, I'm over here." He replied groggily. He stood up, dusting the dirt off his beige pants. Roman came bursting through the bushes beside him.

Logan noticed he was still in his prince costume. Perhaps it wasn't a dream after all...

"Thank god! I thought I was by myself out here." He said slightly out of breath. He looked at Logan's face. "Hey, where are your specs, Specs?"

"I can't seem to find them," Logan admitted, looking around the ground once more.

"Oh, nonsense, they must be here." Roman began looking on the ground as well. After a while searching the forest floor, he decided to look inside the nearby bushes. Sure enough, a small glint caught his eye, the pair of lenses reflecting the late afternoon sun. Roman scooped them up.

"Ah! Here we are. They might be a bit scratched..." He handed the glasses to Logan. 

"Much obliged." Logan put them on. There were a few noticeable scratches, but overall he was grateful to have his glasses again.

"Now for the real question..." Roman took a deep breath, seeming a little flustered. "Where are Patton and Virgil?"

Logan stood and thought a moment, shaking his head.

"I have no clue... I seem to know as little as you for once." Logan muttered more to himself. 

"Hey! I-" Roman sighed. "No, this isn't the time..." He crossed his arms. "Listen nerd, we need to..."

Logan was too caught up in his thoughts to listen.

IHe didn't mean to come off as rude to Roman, he was just frustrated that he couldn't wrap his head around any of this. He always hated not having the answers to his own questions, and this was pure torture. He always did his best to learn about the world and its precarious phenomenons, but this?... He was at a loss.

How did they get here?

Was that storm real?

Were Patton and Virgil okay...?

"Hey! Earth to Planet Neuron!" Roman stood in front of Logan, snapping his fingers in front of his face. Logan blinked, his train of thought disappearing. Roman grabbed his shoulders and shook them, causing Logan to look at him. "You can't zone out on me now. I need you to work with me. We have to find them before it gets dark."

Logan just looked him in the eye. How could Roman be so fine with this? He has no idea where they were. What plan did he really have?

It would probably get them killed knowing Roman's logic...but his face seemed so serious. More serious than he's ever been.

Logan tried to find the words to say, but Roman just gave up and let go, beginning his trek through the forest.

Logan watched him aimlessly walk away. He couldn't hold his worries in any longer.

"Are you seriously not phased by any of this?" He called out.

Roman stopped, still facing away from him.

"We are in the middle of a strange forest right now, Roman. One that does not even remotely look like it's in North America. Don't you understand what that means? We could possibly be in a lot of danger." Logan's voice was filled with more desperation than he intended. "We don't even know how we got here, let alone how to get out, and you're just...walking?"

Roman turned around. "Listen Logan." He walked back toward him. "You and I could stand here all day asking questions that no one is going to give us an answer to, OR..." He paused for dramatic effect. "....we can make use of the time we have and find our friends."

"But, how do you even know you're going in the right direction?"

"...My gut says this is the right direction." Roman smiled confidently. Logan laughed, putting his head in his hands.

"...Your gut..." He scoffed. 'Feelings', of course. What else could he expect of Roman? He shook his head before looking back up at him.

The two men locked eyes, Logan could tell from the look in Roman's eyes that he was not going to back down from his decision. He tried to think of another alternative...but failed to do so.

"Alright... We'll follow your 'gut feeling'" He admitted finally. Roman grinned widely.

"Huzzah!" He cheered. "Let's go while the day is young!" He headed off into the trees with more spring in his step than usual.

Logan followed regretfully behind.


	3. Rude Awakening

Virgil woke up in the fetal position.

Realizing the loud sounds of pouring rain and booming thunder were gone, he finally felt brave enough to remove his arms from over his face.

The sunlight blinded him. He shielded his eyes with his hand as he sat up, taking in his surroundings.

"...What the hell?" He looked around, his heart starting to beat quickly again at the sight of the strange forest.

It felt way too real to be a dream, but it had to be a dream.

There was no other explanation...unless...

 

He was actually dead.

 

If he was dead, well... he guessed it was about time it happened.

He never did have the courage to do it himself...

Virgil slowly stood up, feeling sore. After looking around at the endless terrain, he decided there was nothing better to do than explore his new-found surroundings.

He found the forest very serene and somewhat comforting in a way. The plants were bright and beautiful, the sky had a welcoming orange glow, and the warm breeze made him feel safe.

He walked past a large oak tree. It sky rocketed up into the canopies along with the other towering trees. He had never seen such big trees before. The closest he's ever seen were pictures of the Redwood trees in the National Park over in California. Logan always thought those were fascinating.

He kept exploring, climbing over tree roots and moss covered rocks.

The thought of being dead was actually...kinda nice. The forest seemed like a cozy place to live for eternity. He could wander around the landscape and maybe even find peace within himself for once. He could leave everything behind on Earth

No more stress.

No more panic attacks.

No more-

"Patton!??"

Virgil stared in disbelief at his friend laying unconscious on the ground. He ran over to him, quickly kneeling down. He put a hand on his shoulder, shaking him.

"No, no, no. Patton? Pat, it's me. Are you okay? Please, please be okay, Patton."

No response. Patton was limp, but still warm to the touch.

If this was really a dream...then it was a nightmare.

He leaned over Patton and put a shaking hand on the side of his throat to feel his pulse. Virgil heaved a sigh of relief.

"Okay, okay, you're still alive." He tried to control his breathing. "Patton?" He put a hand on the side of Patton's face. "Patton, Patton please? Please wake up." A tear fell down his face. "I-I don't know where we are. I don't k-know what to do? Please. Please, Patton...I need you right now."

He choked back a sob. This was too much. All of it. Too much.

"Please...please..." He rested his head on Patton's chest, tears soaking into his cardigan. "Not this...not today."

A hand laid gently onto Virgil's head, carefully petting his hair, soothing him.

"Rough night, huh kiddo?"

Virgil quickly sat up, looking at the now conscious and smiling Patton.

"...Patton" He sniffed, wiping his face on his hoodie sleeve.

"Hey Virge."Patton smiled softly, sitting up. He could see that Virgil's eyeshadow was smudged more than usual.

"I-I didn't know if-" Virgil choked up.

"Aw, come here." Patton reached out and embraced Virgil with a warm hug. "It's okay, Virgil. It's going to be okay. Just breathe with me, alright? I've got you."

Virgil held on to Patton tightly as though he were his lifeline tethering him to reality, feeling the slow rise and fall of his chest. Tears continued to fall down his face, but he felt immensely better knowing his best friend was with him.

Patton looked over Virgil's shoulder, noticing the strange forest surrounding them. He suddenly became very worried. How did they get here? Were they alone? It's no wonder Virgil was so freaked out about this... What could it all mean?

Logan...Roman...

Oh god, were they okay? What if something happened to them? Patton couldn't bear the thought of them getting hurt.

No... he must keep his head. He needed to be a source of stability for Virgil. The moment he shows weakness, everything could fall apart.

He patted Virgil on the back, he could tell his breathing had slowed down to a much more normal speed.

"There you go, Kiddo. Everything's going to be okay." Patton said calmly. Virgil slowly let go, feeling more composed.

"I just don't know what to do, Patton..." He confessed. "I thought...I thought I was dead, and I was...fine with that. But, then I saw you lying there, and I thought the worst. I just don't know what this place could be. I mean...are we both dead?"

Patton thought for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"I don't know, Virge. I imagine I probably know just as little as you..." He admitted. Virgil looked down defeatedly, Patton grabbed both of his hands and looked at him. "...but, that doesn't mean we can't find out what's going on, right? We'll figure it out together!"

Virgil looked up at him.

"What about Roman? And Logan?"

"We'll find them too. Nothing can break us apart! Not even whatever happened here!" Patton said confidently, even though the doubt and worry welled up inside him like a ballon. "Logan is smart, and Roman is brave. I'm sure they're okay. Maybe they've even found each other like you found me?"

Virgil laughed a little bit. "If they did find each other, I'd be more worried about them tearing each other apart than something else in this forest doing it."

Patton giggled. He let go of Virgil's hands, seeing that he felt better. He was determined to keep his spirits up through this, no matter what.

"I think they would argue for eternity if it weren't for you and I." Virgil joked, wiping his cheek once again.

"You're probably right about that." Patton admitted. "I guess that means we should find them soon, eh?"

"You really think we can manage to find them out here?" Virgil asked, looking around the thick forest.

"Only one way to find out!" Patton stood up, offering his hand to Virgil. He accepted and was pulled to his feet.

"I just hope we don't run into anything on the way..." Virgil looked around anxiously. Patton linked arms with him.

"We'll be fine!" He said in a cheery voice, leading Virgil into the forest.

"What could possibly go wrong?!"


	4. Bird's Eye View

"Roman, according to my calculations, we have nearly 2 hours left of sunlight." Logan stated.

"Yeah, so?" Roman said distractedly, attempting to slash away at some hanging vines with his dull sword prop. Logan rolled his eyes.

"Soo..." He said annoyingly. "We'll need a plan for when night comes. You know... Shelter...fire...water...the common necessities for survival in the wilderness?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah whatever." He waved it off. "We'll get there. What's important is finding Virgil and Patton." Roman continuing walking through the brush, hardly listening.

Logan sighed, hurrying to catch up with him.

"Look, I'm not disagreeing with you, Roman. I want to make sure they are safe just as much as you do. But even if we find them before night fall, we will still need a plan of action if we are going to survive. Who knows what's out here? If we don't find out where we are soon, we will be out of light and out of luck."

Roman stopped.

"Alright, then what's your plan, 'genius'?" He crossed his arms.

"If we could get a lay of the land, then perhaps we could find a landmark. A mountain, a river, a town...something. We just need to figure out where we are and what options we have."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Roman asked smugly, hoping to see him stumped.

Logan gestured to something behind Roman. He followed Logan's gaze to a large, extremely tall tree. He looked at it dauntingly before bursting into laughter.

"You are going to climb THAT?" He said through another exaggerated chuckle. "I didn't take you for a thrill seeker, Logan."

"Oh, that's because I'm not...." Logan smirked. "...But you are."

Roman stopped laughing. He looked up at the tree. It had branches that looked easy enough to climb...but it had to be nearly twenty stories high!

"You expect ME to do THIS? It's a death trap!" He declared, pointing at the tree.

"Oh...I'm sorry. Are you too afraid, Roman?" Logan teased. He could see Roman's failed attempt at hiding his embarrassment.

"Me? Afraid? HA. You wish, Book Germ. I....love heights. Always have! Always will!" Roman huffed, going over to the tree, trying to look as confident as ever. "Just you see! I'll get a 'lay of the land' in no time."

Roman began climbing the tree, going from branch to branch. Logan could hear him mumbling encouragements to himself.

***

After about 10 minutes, Roman was halfway up the tree.

"How are you doing up there?!" Logan called out to him.

"OH, just dandy!" Roman called back. "You sure you don't want to join me up here, Mr. 'Make Roman Do All the Work'?!"

Logan laughed. "Your words, not mine!"

Roman climbed higher. His heart was racing, but he knew how to breathe through it.

"....You're fine, Roman. You're fine." He said to himself. "It's just a little bit high up is all, no big deal..."

He reached up, pulling himself onto the next branch, which allowed him to see a giant nest that was built inside of a massive whole in the trunk. He marveled at the large, blue and gold speckled eggs within the nest.

"Wow...incredible!" He looked at them in awe. "Hey, Poindexter, I just found some cool looking eggs up here!"

Logan looked up at him. "Really?!"

"Yeah! They're huge! Bigger than my hand!"

"Fascinating." Logan said to himself. He called back up to Roman, "Probably best not to mess with them! Large eggs usually mean there's a large mother near by!"

"Aye Aye, Captain." He gave a mocking salute.

Roman continued to climb up, he was nearing the very top now. The whole heights thing didn't seem so bad.

He broke through the canopy, finally climbing onto the last few branches of the tree. He gazed in amazement at the view he had before him.

There were luscious forests everywhere, littered with large mountains, which were. bathed in the light of the golden, setting sun.

Roman spotted a couple rivers near by that cut through the forest. They merged together in the nearest valley, feeding into a lake. After focusing on the lake, Roman realized there were a few smoke stacks coming from the water's edge.

"Roman!? You see anything?!" Logan's voice was faint all the way down there, but Roman could still hear him. He had to yell even louder to reach him.

"YEAH! A LOT ACTUALLY! I SEE MOUNTAINS, A COUPLE RIVERS, A LAKE, AND I SEE A TOWN I THINK?...I DONT KNOW, BUT THERE'S SMOKE COMING FROM THE FAR SIDE OF THE LAKE."

"Great! That's perfect!!"

Roman smiled triumphantly.

"Alright, you can come down now, Roman!"

He looked down, the smile fading from his face...

"Uhh..YEAH, I'M ON IT." He called out to Logan. A strong wind blew by, causing him to cling tighter to the tree.

"Come on, Roman...You got yourself up here, you can get yourself down."

He carefully began his descent, undeniably scared of being blown off. Once he was under the protection of the canopy, the wind wasn't as strong and he felt more at ease. He continued his descent, only occasionally stopping to calm himself. Logan took notice.

"You're doing great, Roman! Just...uh... try not to think about it!"

"Yeah that's easy for you to say way down there!"

Roman made it to the part of the tree with the nest. Out of curiosity, he peaked inside once more, surprised to find that all of the eggs had actually hatched. The babies were sitting in the nest, flapping their little wings, making small screeching noises.

"Holy Mother Teresa! Logan! They hatched while I was up there!"

"What?!"Logan called out in astonishment.

"YEAH! What are the chances of that!? Ha!"

Roman looked closer at them. The babies were blue like the eggs, with golden spots on their body and spiked tails....wait spikes...?

"Huh...they look almost...reptilian." He said to himself.

Just then Roman and Logan heard a loud screech through the forest. Roman looked around frantically. Logan called out to him.

"Roman! Watch out! There's a-"

Roman turned to his right in time to see a large, blue, pterodactyl-like creature swooping down. It slammed into him, knocking him off the branch.

"AGHH!"

"Roman!"

He fell ten feet before just barely grabbing onto a branch, his hands the only thing supporting him now that his body was just hanging off the side. He couldn't find any footing. His heart was pounding.

The flying creature flew around the tree before coming face to face with Roman as he hung there. It started snapping its beak at him, trying to make him fall. All Roman could do was kick it away from him.

"GET OFF OF ME YOU CRAZY SON OF A BITCH! I DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH YOUR DEMON SPAWN CHILDREN!"

"Hang on, Roman!" Logan called out.

He frantically tried to think of what to do. Roman was in trouble, and there was a slim chance Roman would survive from a fall that high.

There was no time for indecisiveness now.

Logan looked around quickly and found a decently sized rock, hefty but light enough to allow some distance. He took aim and lobbed it up at the creature as hard as he could. He hit it smack in the head.

The creature screeched and turned away from Roman. It glared down at Logan and swooped toward him.

"Yeah, I should have seen this coming..." Logan said to himself before diving out of the way of the creature. It missed, swooping back up in the air and taking aim at Logan again. He got up and ran, the creature following him through the trees.

"LOGAN!" Roman called out. "Damn it."

Roman managed to pull himself up on the branch he was hanging from and move to a better access point. He climbed down way faster than he was climbing before. The new adrenaline fueling his every move.

He needed to help Logan. 

 

***

 

Logan ran through the trees, dodging the creature as best he could. It followed close behind, snapping at him.

This was one of the stupidest things he's ever done.

But it should give Roman enough time to escape...

The creature swooped down, Logan quickly moved around a tree, causing his pursuer to smash into it.

He hoped the impact would make it want to give up, but not a chance, it flew back into the air and came after him once again.

The damn thing just wouldn't give up.

No matter how fast he ran, the creature was faster.

When Logan had no more options left, it finally caught up to him, using its talons to push him to the ground. Logan flipped on his back defensively as the creature dug its talons into his abdomen, pinning him down. It tried to peck at him, and it took all of Logan's strength to push back the creatures head so it wouldn't bite his face off.

This was it. This was how he was going to die. Eaten by some prehistoric pterosaur in a strange forest that no-one was ever going to find him in. He never even got to-

"AGGGGHHHHH TAKE THIS YOU MEGA-SORE-ASS!"

Roman came up behind the creature and slammed a huge rock on top of its head, causing it to release Logan. Roman hit it again, and it slumped over completely, not moving. Logan shoved the creature off of him, trying to catch his breath. Roman dropped the rock, panting heavily after sprinting all the way here.

"'Mega-sore-ass?' Really?" Logan asked.

"Oh shut up." Roman said with barely enough breath, a slight smile on his face. He reached his hand out toward Logan.

He accepted it, wincing a bit as he stood.

"Hey, you okay there?" Roman asked. Logan's shirt was torn where the creature had clawed through. He was bleeding, but it didn't seem deep.

"I'm fine." Logan said, shrugging it off. "Just have to somehow keep it clean while we're out here." He looked to Roman, "And...um...Thank you."

"It is I who should be thanking you, Logan" Roman admitted. "I would have been a goner myself if you hadn't intervened back there."

"I suppose. But you wouldn't have even been in that position if I hadn't sent you up there."

"Pshh, you didn't send me anywhere, Logan. I make decisions for myself you know!" Roman said, pointing at himself.

A small smile formed on Logan's face. He nodded. Roman came over and patted him on the shoulder.

"I mean, after all, if it wasn't for MY bravery, we wouldn't have know about nearby the river." Roman said, back to his usual smug attitude. Logan rolled his eyes.

"It should be that way." Roman directed, walking over and pointing slightly to the right of the setting sun. "If we follow it, it will lead us to the lake where the smoke was coming from."

He turned back to Logan. "So, what do you think, Birdbrain? You ready to venture forth once again?"

"With reasonable directions that are not based on gut feelings?" Logan nodded, pleased with the idea. "I thought you'd never ask." He walked past Roman, taking the lead.

Roman grinned happily, following behind Logan.


	5. Merging Waters

"Hey Patton! Look over there. There's a river." Virgil called out, pointing ahead.

Patton had been admiring a bed of dark blue flowers. He came over to where Virgil was standing, seeing the river through the gaps in the trees.

"Oh perfect! This is a good sign!" Patton said as he started jogging ahead. Virgil followed close behind.

They reached the edge of the river, it was pretty wide and looked deep, the water flowing far too quickly to cross safely. Patton put his hand in the water, feeling it rush through his fingers.

"It's refreshingly cold" He said, cupping the water with his hands and drinking from it. He looked at Virgil who stood next to him."I didn't even think about it. But, you must be so hot in that sweatshirt."

Virgil shrugged. "Eh, you know me. I basically live in sweatshirts during the summer." He put his hood over his head and pulled the strings so that only a small portion of his face could be seen. "The heat is no match for my ability to stay bundled up until the day I die."

The act made Patton giggle. "I love my dark strange son."

"Still not your son..." Virgil laughed, putting his hood back down and sitting next to him. "But I guess you ain't so bad for a 'dad'..."

Patton's face lit up at his comment.

They sat on the river bank to rest their legs for a bit, the two of them enjoying the sound of running water. As time went by, Virgil got up and began throwing rocks into the river, watching them disappear with the current. Patton found himself on a large boulder picking petals off white flowers humming to himself. They enjoyed the serenity of the landscape, trying not to think about what their potential fate could be out here in the middle of nowhere.

Patton took off his cardigan and wrapped it over his shoulders, pretending he was a superhero wearing a cape. Virgil laughed, standing off to the side, still tossing rocks into the river.

"What would your superhero name be, Virgil?"

"Eh...I'm not really the hero type." Virgil stated, throwing a dark, black rock into the water. "I'm definitely more of a villain. My name would something like...Dr. Buzzkill or... Insomaniac." He laughed.

Patton looked at him sadly. He disliked when Virgil talked bad about himself. Ever since they met back in high school, Patton took it as his duty to remind Virgil he was a good friend as much as possible until the day Virgil believed it himself.

"You would make a great superhero, Virgil!" Patton pondered a moment, an idea popping into his head. "Insomaniac could be a superhero! Just think, you could go around and help people who can't fall asleep. That's a hero people need, Right?"

Virgil was about to throw another rock, but stopped halfway.

"...I never really thought about it that way..." A small smile formed on his face as he threw the rock. "I could do things I usually do when I can't sleep...like bring snacks, play calming music...maybe talk about what's keeping them up?"

"There you go! See! You care about people's well-being. That's a hero in my book."

Virgil threw a couple more stones in the river, watching them disappear.

Patton always had a way of turning things around, even in strange situations like this. It was like magic, something Virgil couldn't understand but still appreciated.

Virgil picked up a soft, grayish-blue crystal rock. Its color and softness oddly reminded him of Patton. He decided to hold onto it, and put it into his pants pocket

After a bit of comfortable silence, Virgil spoke up.

"Hey Pat...I've just been thinking....I wanted to thank you, for helping me out back there. I sort of lost my head and was too scared to do anything..." He looked down. "I'm sorry I'm such a liability out here..."

"Aw Virge..." Patton jumped off the boulder, walking toward him. "You are NOT a liability, and you never have to apologize to me for anything." He stood in front of Virgil, gently grabbing his wrists so Virgil would look up at him. "Your feelings were completely valid, Virgil. You thought I was gone, and I can't..." Patton paused. "I can't imagine if the roles were reversed...how I would react...But we're both okay. What's important now is that we stick together no matter what, okay?"

Virgil nodded.

"Good. We'll find the other's soon. I just know it." Patton smiled softly, pulling Virgil into a quick hug before pulling away. "Plus, you are a very helpful person Virgil, not a liability. You're smart, observant, and gifted at reading situations. It's incredible! I mean, you were the one who spotted the river after all."

Patton gestured to the water, walking over to the edge. "We can follow it like a road! It has to lead somewhere, right?"

Virgil never really thought about that before. He always just thought of his anxiety as unnecessary paranoia, but after looking back at past experiences, it has helped him and the others avoid some bad situations.

A specific memory came to mind.

It was the night after a big performance back in October. He, Roman, and a few other theatre geeks went out for some drinks to celebrate the show's success.

Roman's drunk ass was walking down the street, singing the song "You're Welcome" from Moana. He was so distracted, he stumbled backwards into oncoming traffic. Virgil immediately ran over and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him back onto the sidewalk before the truck passed through, honking its horn. Roman just kept singing, too wasted to comprehend the situation let alone remember it the next day.

It stuck in Virgil's mind ever since.

It was why he usually decided to stay sober when they went out together. Roman always thought he was being a buzzkill, but Virgil just ignored him. He couldn't risk something like that happening again...

Virgil looked into the forest behind him, his hands resting in his hoodie pockets.

He hoped Roman and Logan were okay wherever they were...and that Roman wasn't doing any stupid shit to get himself killed.

He looked back toward the river bank, seeing that Patton had walked down a little ways.

He glanced up at the sky, The sun would be completely down soon. To be honest, he was a bit unnerved by the idea of being in the wilderness at night, but he and Patton didn't have a plan B.

"Hey Virgil! Come look at this!" Patton called out, kneeling by some flowers. Virgil began walking toward him to see what it was.

But he was stopped in his tracks by a twisting feeling in his stomach. It grew in intensity. He didn't understand what it was, but it somehow felt familiar...

Something was wrong....Very wrong.

Patton looked up at Virgil, noticing his pained expression.

Time seemed to slow down. Virgil looked at his slightly blurred surroundings. He could hear his own heart beat pounding in his head. He turned his head toward the forest, and the pain grew in intensity. The more he looked, the more it hurt. He could see Patton hurrying over to him in slow motion.

Virgil looked over to the trees again...

And everything clicked. He saw the source of his fear.

A pair of yellow eyes emerged from the shadows, revealing a huge black panther. He followed its gaze...

Patton.

He glanced back at his friend, who was too focused on Virgil to notice the danger.

"Patton!" Virgil called out, time regaining speed as he began running toward him. The panther pounced just as Virgil reached Patton, barely tackling him out of the way. The panther leapt over them and dug its claws into the dirt, skidding to a stop just before the water's edge. Patton sat on the ground in shock, his breathing hitched. Virgil stood up and pulled Patton to his feet.

"We gotta move!" He called out, pulling Patton along. The panther roared, and began chasing after them. They both ran down the side of the river, trying to use the trees as obstacles for the giant cat.

Patton took deep breaths, looking around them for some sort of solution. They couldn't out run this thing forever...He looked down the river, noticing a log that made a bridge across the water. It looked risky, but it was their only chance.

"Virgil follow me!" He called out. The two of them booked it down the river bank. Luckily this creature was much larger than the panthers they've seen on TV, so it had a harder time running through the thick brush. It was just the advantage they needed.

The two of them finally reached the log

"Get up Virgil, hurry!" Patton said quickly.

Virgil wanted to hesitate going first, but Patton pushed him up onto it. The log was thinner than Patton had hoped for, but it was better than getting eaten.

Virgil stumbled a little at first, but quickly gained his footing as he walked forward. He did his best to slow his breathing...

Patton got on the log behind him.

Deep breaths.

 

******

 

"The river! Yes! See I told you we were going the right way!" Roman declared, walking out of the tree-line.

Logan ignored Roman's comment as he walked out behind him. Honestly, he was just grateful they had a proper 'road' to follow now rather than walking aimlessly through shrubs and vines.

"Finally. We can actually-" He was cut off by a roar nearby, causing Roman and Logan to look upstream.

"Dear Zeus, what now??" Roman called out, gripping his hair in frustration.

Logan looked where the sound came from. He could have swore he heard something else...

He looked across the water to the opposite riverbank, noticing two men and a large creature emerge from the trees. They were all headed for a rickety log upstream.

"Oh my god..." Was all Logan could manage to say. Roman came up next to him and followed his gaze, realization growing on his face.

"ITS THEM!" Roman called out, "Oh god. VIRGIL! PATTON!" He began yelling to them, waving his arms around as he ran up the side of the river bank. Logan hurried after him.

******

Patton had figured the large cat wouldn't risk getting on such an unstable log... Cats hate water, right?

Boy was he wrong.

The panther was balancing on the log a few yards behind them. Luckily for them, it was taking it slow, which gave Patton and Virgil a slight advantage.

Patton just had to keep Virgil calm so he wouldn't fall in.

"Alright Virgil, just keep your eyes on the other side okay. You're doing great!" Patton encouraged. He glanced back at the panther that was getting closer.

Virgil's heart was racing. The sound of the running water filled his ears. He could barely hear Patton's voice even though he was right behind him.

"Deep breaths......Deep breaths..." Virgil said to himself. They neared the middle of the log.

Patton looked underneath him. The wood creaked under his feet, their combined weight barely being held.

"That's it! Keep going Virgil! Halfway there!" He tried to keep the worry out of his voice.

"VIRGIL! PATTON! We're over here!" Roman called out to them from the other side of the river bank, his arms waving over his head. Logan came up behind him, slightly out of breath.

"Y-You're okay?!" Virgil called out. Another loud cracking could be heard from the wood.

"Yes! Yes! Now get over here! You can do it!" Roman yelled out, standing right at the end of the log, beckoning them over.

Patton's heart soared at seeing the pair of them. He glanced at Logan who looked at him worriedly, sensing the gravity of the situation.

They were almost to the other side, so close.

He looked behind him and saw the panther was nearing the middle of the log....

If it could barely hold him and Virgil...there was no way it could hold the panther. He knew they didn't have much time.

Virgil was just a few feet away from the edge. Patton looked at Roman who was cheering for Virgil to keep him focused, then back at the panther, an idea popping in his head.

There was a loud snap.

"Grab him!" Patton yelled, using all his strength to shove Virgil forward.

"Uuahh!" Virgil stumbled over the edge of the log.

Roman reacted quickly, catching Virgil mid fall.

The panther had snapped the log in two. The beast fell into the river, easily swept away by the current.

Patton yelped as he slipped and fell into the water. Logan hurried to the edge of the river bank.

"Patton?!" He called out desperately. "PATTON?!"

Logan scanned the river over and over again. There was no sign of him anywhere. Where was he? Did he get swept away too?

No...No....Not him.

Finally he saw Patton's head emerge from the water. He was holding onto the broken log near shore in an attempt to keep himself from getting swept away, but the log was slipping off the bank and into the current.

"Patton! Hold on!" Logan quickly waded into the river, not caring about how cold the water was. He held onto the tree roots that jutted out from the river bank to keep from getting swept away himself.

"Logan?" Patton called out, looking around, he couldn't see well in his wet glasses.

"I'm right here, Patton! Take my hand!" Logan was neck deep in the water, still holding onto the root for stability. He reached his hand out. Patton looked over at him and tried to reach toward him. The log kept slipping.

They were close, but not close enough.

"Oh god, Pat!" Virgil cried out, he tried to run into the water, but Roman held him back. They both kneeled down on the river bank, Virgil's hands were over his mouth. Roman hugged him to try and keep him calm.

Logan waded in a little further, as far as he could go. The log slipped more. 

With a little more reach, he was finally able to grab Patton's wrist.

"I've got you!"

Patton let go and let Logan pull him in, just as the log was fully caught by the current. He put Patton in from of him and helped push him toward shore. As they neared the bank, Roman and Virgil helped them out of the water.

Virgil was the first to hug Patton.

"Are you fucking crazy, Pat? Don't ever do that shit to me again!..."

He squeezed Patton tightly, not caring that his sweatshirt was getting soaked in the process. Patton embraced him in return.

"I'm sorry, Virge. I'm just glad you're okay." Patton said, squeezing Virgil tightly before letting go. He wiped the tears from Virgil's cheeks.

Patton turned to Roman who was standing off to the side.

"This is...quite the dramatic reunion, eh?" Roman joked, throwing his hands up in the air.

Patton laughed. Making light of the situation was usually his thing.

"It's good to see you, Roman." He went over and gave Roman a hug.

"It's good to see you too, puffball..." Roman hugged back.

Patton leaned in so Virgil couldn't hear. "Thanks for catching him..."

"Always." Roman grinned. They let go of the hug.

The three of them looked at Logan, who was walking up the river bank toward the group, wringing out his tie.

"I um... I'm glad to see you're alright, Patton..." Logan managed to say.

Patton didn't reply. He just ran toward Logan and embraced him, burying his head into Logan's chest.

Logan nearly fell backwards at the sheer force of the hug, but he steadied himself....Suddenly comforted by Patton's presence.

Logan wrapped his arms around him, both of them soaking wet from the cold river water.

"Thank you..." Patton muttered into his chest.

Something inside of Logan told him to never let Patton go... He just felt so...protective for some odd reason.

"Of course...Patton."

Logan looked up at Roman who had that big cheesy grin on his face. Virgil whispered something to him and Roman nodded trying to stifle his amusement.

Logan looked at them with a confused expression...

 

What on Earth could they be whispering about?


	6. Can't Burn Without Fire

"Here Pat, take my sweatshirt."

"Oh no I couldn't, Kiddo. You need that."

"Not more than you do. You'll freeze. It's the least I can do." Virgil tossed his sweatshirt into Patton's lap. He graciously accepted it.

The two of them sat next to each other by the pile of wood that Roman and Logan collected. Patton put on Virgil's hoodie, hugging his knees to his chest to try and fight the cold. Virgil sat crosslegged in his black, long sleeve My Chemical romance shirt. He rested his elbow on his knee with his head in his hand, looking back and forth between Roman and Logan who were in the middle of arguing about the best way to start a fire.

Roman was crouched down and in the middle of striking two rocks together to try and get a spark. Logan was sitting with a stick and piece of wood, trying to use the friction to get it started.

"-Well Logan, at least I'm not using wood to light wood. Your tactic is redundant."

"Redundancy is you hitting two rocks together for 10 minutes and still expecting results." Logan rolled his eyes.

"Um excuse me? I know what I'm doing, and it's not like you've made more progress. We are still fireless out here."

"This technique takes time and patience, Roman. Don't you remember anything from our time in Boy Scouts?"

"Of course! What do you think I'm doing? You and I did the exact same thing during fire starter training."

"Then you'd remember what Scout Leader Ian said....You can't start a fire with two random rocks. One of them has to be in the flint family and the other must be a form of steel. You won't be getting any sparks from those." Logan shook his head, moving the stick in his hands fast enough to get smoke rising from the base of the wood.

"Oh look at you Logan!" Roman mocked. "Fire AND rock expert now? You just know everything, don't you?"

"More than you obviously." Logan muttered, sparks emerging from the base of the stick.

"Woo!" Both Patton and Virgil cheered at the sight of fire.

Roman huffed in defeat and sat back with his arms crossed as he looked at Logan's fire.

Logan was very pleased with himself. He added small sticks and grass to increase the size of the flame before putting it under the rest of the wood pile. He sat back as the fire grew bigger, resting his arms on his knees, content with his work.

As the darkness of night crept over them, the four travelers huddled against the warmth and light of the fire, which helped Patton and Logan dry off. The night air was filled with the sound of rushing water and the breezy rustling of leaves in the plant life around them.

After a while of silence, Virgil was the first one to speak. He said the one thing they were all thinking...although they might not have chosen the same wording.

"What the fuck are we doing?"

The three of them hesitated.

"We're sitting by-"

"No..Logan... I don't mean literally, I mean what are we doing? Why are we here? How did we get In this...weird wilderness bullshit?"

"Hell if I know." Roman admitted. "But as far as I can tell, we are here in the flesh. Either that or this is an incredibly real dream."

"I ruled out dream a long time ago." Logan stated, showing the wounds on his torso. "It's said that pain is supposed to help one escape a dream, but that does not seem to be the case here."

"Oh my goodness... Logan, what happened?" Patton said worriedly, seeing the blood.

Logan and Roman looked at each other, both of them unsure of whether or not they should mention their previously reckless decisions. Logan thought it would be best to leave some of the details out.

"We...had a small run in with a strange creature. From what I could tell, it was a flying pterosaur of some kind." Logan stated. He looked at Patton who was still worried. "But we got out mostly unharmed. I'm not terribly injured, I just have to be sure it doesn't get infected."

"Okay, let me know if I can help..." Patton said.

"Will do Patton, thank you."

Virgil spoke up and gestured to Roman and Logan.

"So where did you two wake up?"

"We woke up in the forest, higher up on the mountain from here. I woke up only a few yards from Mr. Fire Enthusiast." Roman stated, pointing to Logan. Virgil thought for a moment.

"I woke up near Patton as well...I thought he..." Virgil stopped himself, not want to share the embarrassing moment. "I mean..I didn't see anything else. It was just forest."

"So perplexing..." Logan muttered, trying to put his thoughts together. "The only thing connecting us between this forest and Carroll theatre is that strange storm that blew in...but a storm couldn't have washed us away... These aren't the woods outside of town or anything remotely close."

"That's very true." Roman added. "I got a good look at where we are, and well...hah...lets just say we're not in Kansas anymore." He elbowed Virgil, smiling at his own joke.

"Kansas! That's it!" Patton exclaimed as he stood up, his eyes lighting up with the reflection of the fire. The other three looked up at him with confused expressions.

"Patton, it was just a reference...how could it possibly answer any questions?" Logan asked.

"Because of exactly that! It's a reference! From The Wizard of Oz!" He said excitedly. "Think about it. Dorothy was home on Earth, when a sudden storm came in... It ripped everything apart and once she came to her senses, she realized she was transported to a completely different world! The world of Oz!" He looked expectantly at the others. "Don't you see??"

"So...you're saying..." Logan started.

"WE are Dorothy!" Roman finished, realization growing on his face. He stood up abruptly. "Patton you're a genius!"

Patton smiled gleefully jumping up and down. The two of them began pacing around talking about references from fantasy movies and books, their excited babbling seemingly incoherent to Logan and Virgil who were still confused.

"Hold on." Logan said, standing up. His words caught the attention of Patton and Roman. "I don't quite understand"

"How shocking..." Roman murmured not so quietly to Patton. Logan ignored him.

"While I'd hate to rain on your figurative parade, I find it necessary to say that just because there are similarities between our situation and Dorothy's does not mean we are in some similar situation. It is a fictional tale created by humans. It has no scientific merit or proof of existence." Logan finished. Roman strolled over to him.

"Have you considered, Logan, that maybe not everything in the universe can be learned through a book?" Roman suggested.

"Well of course, there are always new things to discover, but-"

"That's it! Always new things to discover!" Roman interrupted. "Who's to say magic isn't something we haven't discovered?"

"But" Logan said sternly as he continued. "...there are certain laws of physics that we are bound by. And magic is most certainly not one of them."

"Since when does traveling through time and space without technology abide by laws of physics?! How else did we get here, brainiac? The only reasonable way we got here is by magic."

"Hah, reasonable? Really? You are going to use reasonable and magic in the same sentence?" Logan scoffed.

The bickering continued, both of them in each other's faces. Virgil had enough of it. He stood up and got in between the two of them, pushing them away from each other.

"Would you two just shut the fuck up? You're giving me a migraine..." Virgil demanded, looking at the two of them. "Listen. We don't know how the hell we got here. I have no fucking clue, and I wish I did, but you two are literally getting us nowhere with your senseless arguing. I thought it was bad when we were at home, but now its just constant fighting between you guys. Patton and I have heard enough of it."

They all looked to Patton who stood on the other side of the fire. He looked sheepishly back at them. He seemed to want to sink into Virgil's hoodie rather than be involved. Logan and Roman both felt a pang of guilt at causing him distress. Virgil continued.

"So pull yourselves together. We have work as a team if we are going to figure this out... That means we should all get some rest for tonight so we can make the most of tomorrow. And I'll be keeping watch while you guys sleep, so don't worry about that."

"But Virgil, I can-"

"Save it, Princey. I'm staying up." Virgil waved him off, sitting on the ground. "I'm too stressed to sleep anyway." He mumbled to himself.

The rest of them found the most comfortable positions they could on the forest floor and fell asleep.

Virgil looked at all three of them and sighed.

How the hell were they going to make it out of here?


	7. A First Encounter

"Are we close?" Virgil asked.

"I think there's just a couple miles left." Roman replied, leading the group down the riverside.

The four of them took off once it was light out to try and gain as much ground as possible.

Roman wasn't confident about much that was going on, but he at least knew what direction they were going, and that was enough for him. One of his favorite mottos was to "never plan too much ahead", because life could throw anything your way and you must be ready to adapt. Logan didn't agree with that mindset of course, but Roman didn't care. It's helped him this far, why not follow through?

Virgil fell in behind Roman. He was wearing his hoodie once again after Patton thanked him immensely for letting him borrow it last night. Virgil didn't really know what to expect from the lake and the alleged "town" that was near the water, but hopefully it had some sort of answers.

Patton walked behind Virgil. He passed the time by admiring all the plant and wild life around the river. It was such a lively place, it couldn't all be so bad. Whatever challenges came their way, he knew they could all figure out a way through it.

That left Logan in the back of the group. He found himself constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure they weren't being followed or tracked. He wasn't the type to get paranoid, but somehow the conversation he had with Roman last night made him think about how much of the world he didn't yet understand. The thought terrified him, but of course he would never admit it.

The four of them continued down the riverbank for a while, with Roman singing songs to pass the time. The sun rose slowly into the sky, warming up the temperature once again.

Eventually they made it to the large lake. It seemed to span for miles across. Roman looked down the left side of the shore, and sure enough, there were a couple smoke stacks coming up just a mile down from where the river met the lake.

"Hah! Perfect!" Roman said, making his way down the shore toward the smoke.

"Wait." Logan called out. Roman turned around. "What if they're actually a threat?"

Roman shrugged. "You were the one who wanted to find civilization." He pointed down the shore. "This is as civil as it gets."

"I know...just..." Logan sighed. "We should have some sort of plan if things go awry."

Roman looked at Logan, then looked at Virgil and Patton who seemed to agree with the need for a plan.

"Alright. Seems fair enough..." Roman nodded. "How about this? I'll go by myself and talk to them while you three stay hidden! Yes? Good? Alright then."

"Not a chance, Roman. That's too dangerous." Virgil demanded, trying to stop him.

"Danger is my middle name, Emo Nightmare!" Roman called out with a twirl, drawing his sword prop and thrusting it into the air as he went down shore. Virgil shook his head and went after him.

Logan looked over at Patton with a confused expression.

"But his middle name is not actually 'danger'..." Logan said trying to comprehend why Roman would say such a thing.

Patton laughed and grabbed his arm, pulling him along after Roman and Virgil.

***

As the four of them neared the source of the smoke, they began to hear a lot of strange noises. It sounded like a variety of squawks, screeches and roars. They slowly moved forward, making sure to keep hidden in the trees. As they came close to the clearing, they started to hear voices. The four of them each went behind a tree, carefully scanning the area.

There were cages upon cages of various wild creatures. Some large and monstrous, while others were small and adorable. There were giant birds, three eyed monkeys, large reptilian creatures, little long-eared squirrels, and so many more. They were all making noises, no doubt calling for help. 

There were also a lot of odd creatures walking around the camp. They were counting, checking, and moving the crates onto carts. They all wore rough armor with spikes and black patches with a strangely shaped white skull sewn onto the shoulder. There was a big orc looking guy ordering them around and telling them what to do.

"They must be some form of smugglers..." Logan whispered. "Whatever they're up to, I doubt this practice is legal."

"Well, we need directions." Roman whispered. "These guys are our best shot." He walked out from behind the tree.

"Wait! No Roman!"

"What are you doing?? Come back here!"

Logan and Virgil tried to stop him, but he was already out of cover. They stayed hidden behind the trees.

"Greetings gentlemen!" Roman greeted with a smile, holding his arms out and putting his charm on 110%. The gangly looking creatures all stopped what they were doing, turning to glare at him in disbelief.

Virgil sat behind the tree trying not to tear his hair out.

"Couldn't help but see you fellas packing up to hit the road. I am a fellow traveler myself you see, but I seem to be lost. I came here hoping you kind sirs could direct me to the nearest town. What do ya say? Could you help a fellow traveller out of the kindness of your hearts?"

The smugglers looked at each other and back at Roman before they barreled over laughing. Roman found himself awkwardly laughing along too.

Logan facepalmed.

The laughter finally began to die down, and once the large orc stopped laughing, he spoke up, his voice deep and gravelly.

"HAH, I haven't laughed that hard a while!" He said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Bring him here boys."

Roman tried to back away, but two reptilian guys came up behind him and grabbed him by the arms, bringing him forward.

"Oh there's no need to..." He was thrown in front of the orc. "....Be so... rough." He winced.

"State your name fleshling." The large orc said, casually sitting in a chair.

Roman got up off the ground and brushed some of the dirt off his costume, looking up at the large orc.

"If you must know, my name is Roman. Roman Hayes." He said confidently, his head held high. "I might ask you the same thing."

"You don't know me? You don't know ME? HAH" The orc laughed. "Guys he doesn't know who I am!" The other gang members started laughing along with him. "That explains why you waltzed in my camp."

Roman looked around the camp at the laughing smugglers with a confused expression.

"Wow...so you really don't know me, fleshing? You must be a foreign royal that I haven't robbed....YET! HAHA" Another burst of laughter.

Roman looked down at his clothes realizing that the orc thought he was actual royalty.

"Well, your highness! You're in for a treat! You're in the presence of the one...the only... HUGOBLEX!!" The orc beat his chest triumphantly, and the other followed suit.

Logan and Virgil looked at the spectacle. Logan shook his head.

"This guy is nuts." Virgil whispered.

"You could say that again..." Logan said in disbelief.

"Hey...uhh...where's Patton?" Virgil asked looking around them.

"What?"

"He's not here."

"Well where did he go??"

"That's what I'm asking you!"

The two of them looked across the camp to see Patton sneaking around behind the currently occupied smugglers, opening some of the cages to let the creatures free.

"What the hell??" Virgil tried to keep his voice down. "How did he even get the keys??"

***

Patton used the set of keys to open a small cage that allowed a red, long-eared lemur to jump out. It looked up curiously at Patton, and Patton gave it a warm smile.

"Go little buddy. You're free!" Patton said quietly. The lemur seemed to nod in understanding and ran toward the trees.

He crouched and walked past the campfire, careful not to bring any attention to himself. Luckily all the noise and shouting was keeping everyone busy. He reached the big ominous cart that shook wildly. He knew there had to be something huge in there... He looked through the little barred window and was surprised at what he saw.

***

"HAHA oh fleshling, the way you talk is absolutely hilarious. You'll sell for a high price for sure!" Hugoblex slapped Roman on the back, he stumbled forward.

"I'm sorry, sell me?" Roman laughed. "You're joking right?"

"You really are new! HAHA it's a great business. Produces a lot of coin!" The large orc sat back down in his chair, scratching his chin.

"But...that's slavery! You can't just sell people!"

"Well of course I can!" Hugoblex cheered, his men hollered in approval. "I've been doing it for years. Don't worry though, fleshling, we'll have a spacious cage for you as our guest. My treat!"

The two reptilian gang members grabbed Roman again.

"Wait. No!"

Hugoblex gestured over to the cages by the campfire, all eyes suddenly turned over to see Patton near the large ominous cart. He stopped in his tracks and waved sheepishly at everyone looking at him.

Roman grew wide eyed. He quickly looked toward the treeline to see Logan and Virgil silently panicking.

"Another fleshling for the price of double! It's my lucky day." Hugoblex hollered. "Get him boys!"

The nearest goons pulled their knives and slowly came closer to Patton. Quickly thinking, Patton grabbed the gate on the back of the cart and swung it open, dodging out of the way as the large black panther jumped out onto the campground. It let out a loud roar that rang through the trees.

Everyone in camp started screaming and yelling as the panther bounded around, pouncing on some of the gang members and tearing them apart. The smugglers holding Roman immediately dropped him and ran for their lives. Hugoblex was trying to calm everyone down, but to no avail.

Patton was still on the ground watching the scene unfold. A gang member came behind him and grabbed his collar, pulling him up to his feet and putting a knife to his throat. He tried to pull away, but couldn't get out of his grasp. Then out of no where, the red lemur jumped onto the smuggler's face, clawing and scratching, making him let go of Patton.

Patton watched in disbelief as the smuggler ran away.

Roman came up to him and grabbed him by the shoulders, turning him around.

"Patton! are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine! Are you?"

"Just peachy! Alright listen! We need to get out of here."

But before they could move, Roman pushed Patton toward the cart to dodge the smuggler that ran past them followed by the panther pouncing and biting his head off. They were a mere foot away from the beast, both pressed up against the cart with nowhere to go. Roman had an arm in front of Patton protectively.

The panther slowly lifted its head and made eye contact with Roman, growling at him. Roman tensed up, standing firm. It's eyes shifted towards Patton, the two gazed at each other for a moment. Patton nodded to the beast, and in turn, the beast nodded back. With a flick of its tail and a loud roar, the black panther jumped out to attack another smuggler running by.

Roman relaxed, looking at the panther with a confused expression.

Just then Logan came around the side of the wagon.

"Roman! Virgil has a plan." Logan pointed to the front of the cart.

"On it!" Roman ran around the side.

"Patton, in the wagon, quickly." Logan stated. The two of them jumped into the back of the wooden cage.

***

"This was your plan?" Roman called out to Virgil with a smirk, climbing onto the passenger side of the cart. "I'm actually impressed. Didn't know you were such a risky cart thief."

"What can I say? Escaping situations is what I do best." Virgil said as he whipped the reigns. "Yah!"

The horses hurried toward the trail as if they knew exactly where to go.

"THAT'S MY CART!" Hugoblex called out after them. Patton waved at the orc from the back of the cart. "GET BACK HERE YOU!" He began running after them, but the panther bit him in the arm, holding him back.

Patton looked down to see the red lemur chasing after the cart.

"Come on little buddy! You can do it!" Patton cheered. Logan watched in amusement.

The red lemur jumped on the cart, setting itself between Patton and Logan. It turned and stuck and its tongue out to Hugoblex.

By the time the orc punched the panther off of him, the cart was out of sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow thanks for making it this far! Hope it's a fun story so far. I plan to make it a long one, so that's why things are going slower. It's my first time posting a story, so feel free to tell me what you think! :D I'd love to hear from you.


	8. Edinbourg

"Alright guys, we made it." Virgil called out to the back. He slowed on the reigns and the horses came to a stop. 

Roman jerked awake, having accidentally fallen asleep during the ride.

They were stopped just outside of a small farming town. The sign above the entrance read "Edinbourg", and from what the two of them could see, the town was littered with little houses and shops, surrounded by wide open fields of crops. 

The afternoon sun felt a lot stronger without the protective shade of the forest.

"Almost looks like something out of a movie, eh?" Roman joked, looking towards Virgil. 

But Virgil didn't respond. He just turned and got off the wagon as if he didn't even hear Roman's remark.

This made him confused. He usually got some sort of response from Virgil when he spoke to him. They were...sarcastic responses of course, but they were responses.

He studied Virgil as he got off the the wagon too. It was then he noticed that the dark circles under Virgil's eyes were more prominent than usual...

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

Virgil didn't get any sleep last night....AND he was driving the wagon this whole time while Roman slept. Who knew how long he was out for?

Roman, you idiot.

He mentally punched himself.

Patton and Logan got off the wagon and walked toward the front. Patton was yawning, carrying the sleeping red lemur in his arms. As the two of them approached, they saw Virgil quietly petting one of the horses and Roman standing off to the side, deep in thought. 

"You make a new friend, Pat?" Virgil asked, smiling softly at the fur ball in Patton's arms.

"Yeah! I released him from one of those cages and I told him to go free but... he stuck around. I don't think he has anywhere else to go..." Patton said softly, trying not to wake the creature up.

Virgil looked from the lemur up to Patton.

"Maybe he's just as lost as we are..." Virgil suggested somberly, still petting the horse. "Lost boys have to stick together, right?"

Patton smiled at the reference. 

"Virgil's right." Roman said, which caused Virgil to smirk a little. "A friend of yours, Patton, is a friend of ours."

With three out of four in agreement about their new friend, they all looked to Logan, who was leaning against the side of the wagon. He took a deep breath in an attempt to find the best way to word his response.

"Having him around is....risky. Considering the fact that we just robbed a group of criminals and set a creature loose that killed many of them, there's a lot over our heads right now. If any of them survived, there's a good chance they'll come for revenge...seeing the lemur could give us away easily..." Logan paused for a moment to gauge their reactions. He knew it wasn't the most favorable idea.

Patton looked toward the ground sadly, understanding what Logan meant. Roman and Virgil looked at each other, not sure how to argue against his point. 

"But..." He continued. Patton perked up. "You told me what happened back there in the camp. This creature helped you when you needed it most. When...others...couldn't be there to help you. It seems to me...that perhaps he could be a good asset to the group." Logan finished, looking at the sleeping lemur.

Patton smiled thankfully at him. 

A smile no one could ever get tired of seeing.

***

The four of them walked through Edinbourg. It was quite an adorable little place. There were various people bustling through the streets, carrying goods and other cargo into the market, chatting with their neighbors, and riding horse-drawn carriages. There were children playing tag in the street with chickens and other various livestock roaming freely. 

It was a nice town.

Of course, they all were undeniably hungry and looked quite disheveled considering what they've been through. Their mission was to find a place to get information and hopefully some way to get home. 

As incredible as this place was, Virgil was not a fan. The four of them stood out like a sore thumbs. They got a lot of curious glances and confused stares as they walked through the street. He couldn't stand the awkward tension. Too many eyes. Too many people. He kept his head down and his hands in his pockets, trying to become as small and unnoticeable as possible.

In contrast, Roman loved Edinbourg. He kept his head held high as he led the group through the streets, smiling and waving to the folks as they walked by, which made the young girls blush and the young men generally confused. He went around asking questions about the town, trying to figure out who could help them with their odd situation, but it was proving more difficult than he expected. Logan walked with him, also engaging in the conversation to keep Roman from spilling too much information.

Patton stayed back with Virgil. The red lemur sat on his shoulder curiously looking around. Patton was very delighted by the little farm town. He loved the atmosphere and how lively it was. It made him think of the town that Belle had lived in before she met the Beast. He imagined dancing around the town while the townspeople say 'bonjour' to him as he goes to the library to see a certain....s o m e o n e.

Patton and Virgil waited behind Roman and Logan as they talked to a woman working in the market. Patton heard a couple gasps behind him and felt a tug on his shirt. He turned around and looked down to see a young boy and girl, neither of which could have been older than 8 years old. He smiled at them sweetly, and bent down to meet them eye to eye.

They pointed to the lemur and asked if they could pet him. Patton was hesitant at first, but the furry red creature seemed to understand fully. Without hesitation, he jumped down to the ground and sat in front of the two children, happily receiving pets and ear scratches. It warmed Patton's heart to see the exchange and hear excited giggles from the kids.

Roman and Logan turned back around, seemingly frustrated.

"No luck here either. I swear these people just don't want to help us." Roman shook his head. "I'm being as charming as I possibly can! Nothing's working!"

"Well, we are foreigners. Perhaps we have violated a law or social norm without knowing?" Logan suggested.

"Or..." Virgil stated. "We didn't do anything wrong and these people just hate us because we're different."

"While that could be true..." Logan admitted. "...there must be someone with some sense around here."

Just then a woman came up quietly next to Virgil, making him jump back a bit. She was in the middle of folding a quilt and looked around suspiciously before speaking.

"Rosmerta. Go to Rosmerta." She whispered softly for only them to hear. "She can help you."

Virgil looked at Logan and Roman, who looked curiously at the mysterious woman.

"Where can we find her?" Logan whispered. Roman leaned in hoping to hear an answer.

The woman set the folded quilt down and picked up a second one. She made another quick glance around them before speaking again, not looking in their direction.

"The Gray Rock Tavern. At the end of the market." She whispered. She carefully glanced behind them, her eyes grew wide with fear. "That is all I can tell you, speak nothing of our encounter."

She turned and hurried away from them.

Patton, who was still hanging out with the kids looked up to see three ominous figures coming down the main road. They rode black horses and wore all black armor with devilish masks covering their faces. The streets started to clear out as people hurried inside. A woman ran over towards Patton and grabbed the two children's hands, pulling them away. Patton watched them go, he saw the fear in the mother's eyes.

"Um...guys." Patton called out anxiously.

The three of them turned around, following Patton's gaze. Their eyes grew wide at seeing the black masked figures heading towards the market.

"Everybody's taking shelter..." Virgil said, looking around. "Guys...we should go, like now. Before they see us."

"We need to get to that tavern." Logan said quietly. "She said it was at the end of the market." 

Roman nodded. "Let's go."

The four of them agreed. They hurried through the stalls, trying their best to stay low and hidden from sight as the figures came to the front of the market. Virgil was the quickest one through, followed by the other three. They got to the other side and looked around, trying to find a sign indicating where the tavern was.

"She said around the corner right??" Virgil said, starting to panic, his voice becoming unsteady. "Where is it??"

"It-it...should be here somewhere..." Logan said looking around.

They were out in the open, slowly losing time. They didn't even know who those figures were, but they damn sure didn't want to find out.

Just then a lone door swung open and a middle aged woman with dark hair stepped out.

"What the hell are you doin'? Trying to get yourselves killed?" She called out with a notable southern accent. They all looked at her with a terrified expression. "Well don't just stand there growin' roots. Get yer asses inside!"

The four of them hurried over and in through the side door of the building. The woman quickly closed the door behind them and locked it. They all took a moment to take a breath as the woman went to the nearest window and peered through the crack in the shutters. 

They studied the room they were in. It looked like a tavern. The place was littered with wooden tables and chairs, and there was a bar with a few kegs behind it in the back. The only sources of light came from a few lanterns and the bits of sunlight that came through the shutters. The whole place smelt of beer and bread. It felt warm and musty inside from all the windows being shut for a while.

The woman kept looking out the window, watching as the figures continued through the streets.

"You're lucky they didn't see you boys..." She said, trailing off as she walked into he back room, looking for something.

"I wouldn't consider ANY of this lucky..." Logan said pacing around the floor anxiously. Virgil grabbed his arm to stop him, helping him sit down in one of the wooden chairs.

Virgil's heart was going a mile a minute, but seeing Logan stressed made him even more anxious. He knew Logan internalized most, if not all, of his emotions, so seeing him express anything meant it was bad. 

Virgil simply sat in silence with Logan, holding onto his arm to let him know he was there. Logan just breathed, the gesture being enough to keep him grounded.

Patton sat with his knees to his chest at a table near Virgil and Logan, looking around the room. The lemur was perched on the table its long ears twitching as it listened anxiously for any threatening sounds.

Roman walked over to the window that the woman was looking out of earlier.. He saw the black figures a ways down the street from the tavern. All three of them were off of their horses, talking with a man. As the conversation progressed, the man started to panic. Roman watched as one of the figures grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. The man squirmed and choked as his skin turned black from the contact. He started making inhumane noises, failed attempts at calling for help. The blackness spread from his neck down through his body and up into his face and head until he was entirely black. The ominous figure dropped the man, his body falling to the ground lifelessly...Roman gasped and backed away from the window.

The woman came back out carrying a tall stack of clothes.

"You should know better than to be walking down the streets like that." She said, quickly dividing the clothes up into four piles. "Put these on now! They'll be here soon."

"W-what do you mean?" Virgil asked.

"There's no time to explain! Just put them on." The woman said, going back over to check the window.

"Do what she says." Roman demanded, fear hidden in his eyes. He grabbing one of the piles and went into one of the back rooms. Patton, Virgil, and Logan looked at each other worriedly for a moment before following suit. 

The four of them changed, they were all wearing what seemed to be similar to renaissance styled hand-me-downs. They all wore boots and flowing, long-sleeved shirts, with various brown and black vests and matching pants. 

"Well this is...interesting." Virgil said looking at all their clothes as they stood in the tavern, he patted his pocket to check that the rock he picked up at the river was secure.

The woman came back around to them after they were done.

"Good, now give me your old clothes. We have to burn them."

Roman gasped.

"B-burn them?" Roman stuttered, horrified at the thought of destroying his costume. He never got to perform in it...

"Yes! There can't be any evidence! Now come on, give me your clothes." She said with her hands out.

The four reluctantly gave her their old clothing, their only possessions from home. They all looked on in silence as they watched their clothes get tossed into the fire place. The fabric caught the flame easily and were eaten away within the minute, all turned to ash.

Virgil just sat down in disbelief, mourning the loss of his beloved hoodie and My Chemical Romance shirt.

That's when they heard it.

The slow, hard sound...

 

*Knock knock*


	9. Don't Look

"Who are they? Can't we just run??" Virgil said frantically, looking for a way out. 

"No. That won't work...." The woman said quietly, moving slowly towards the door. "They can sense people. They know that there are five of us in here. If someone runs..."

"They'll do what?...What'll they do?!" Virgil started panicking. "Are we going to die...?" His breathing got worse and he put his hands on his head, pulling at his hair. "Are we all going to die??" Roman rushed over to him. He grabbed Virgil's hands and gently took them off his head, holding them firmly in his own.

"Virgil, look at me." He said quietly. Virgil looked up at him, his heart beating fast. "You are not going to die, okay?...I promise you that. You have my word. What I need you to do now is to just stay still and don't look into their eyes like she told us...can you do that for me?"

Virgil nodded, his breathing still shaky. Roman smiled at him before letting go and walking away. Patton rushed over to hug Virgil, the two of them standing as far from the door as they could get, back near the bar. The red lemur hid under one of the kegs with his ears folded down. Logan stood towards the middle of the room, unsure of what they were going to be facing. Roman walked over and stood next to him, making eye contact with the woman standing by the front door. He gave her a slight nod of approval. 

She nodded back to him and slowly opened the door.

An icy cold chill blew in from the doorway, making all the lanterns blow out and the temperature drop nearly 10 degrees. Three cloaked figured stood on the front porch, their shiny devilish masks even more unsettling up-close. They were twisted into a wide, wicked smile and the gaping eyeholes were pitch black. 

The first one stepped in through the door. It stopped and turned its head towards the woman. She kept her eyes down from the ominous figure's face. It gazed at her for a while with its lifeless eye sockets, as if it was silently analyzing her. 

After a while, it turned its head towards Roman and Logan and began walking forward slowly.

Thump.....Thump......Thump.....

The lemur watched the statue's feet move across the floor from under the keg, his body shaking nervously as he backed further into the shadows.It's armor clinked together with each step, coming closer and closer to where Roman and Logan were standing. 

Logan looked past the oncoming figure, noticing that the other two were still waiting outside the door. In fact, they weren't moving at all, like statues.

Roman looked at the torso of the masked figure to avoid looking at its face. He watched as it slumped closer and closer. He wanted to run away so badly after seeing what those things were capable of, but he knew he had to stay still... for all of their sakes.

The figure stepped up to the two of them. It turned its head to face Logan, who kept his gaze locked onto the floor, holding his hands behind his back. He could physically feel the figure looking at him... His skin started to feel cold and he got goosebumps up and down his arms. He started to shiver as he heard a voice, like a shrill whisper, ring through his head..

"Looooook....at.... meeeeeee...."

The icy feeling got worse, unbearably cold. The whispering continued, growing louder in his ears. He felt his body starting to freeze. As distracting as it was, he kept his eyes fixed on the floor, determined to stick to the plan. With enough determination, he got through it and felt the gaze leave him. The coldness faded away...He was okay. 

Did he...'pass'? 

He must have, because the figure was turned to Roman now. He could see him starting to shiver in his peripheral. 

Roman was indeed shivering alright, but he couldn't tell if it was from the cold or just pure fear. He literally saw it kill a man 10 minutes ago with only one hand...it would just take a second....one second and he'd share the same fate.

He knew he had to keep his fear in check...

It was then that he heard the voice...

"Looook....at.... meeeeeeee...."

The icy pain shot through him, his skin felt like ice. It was so painful, as if he just jumped into a lake and stood outside in a blizzard. He clenched his fists and his teeth, looking down at the floor. He breathed through the pain and the harsh whispers, remembering the words of the woman they just met. He kept his eyes down and sure enough, the cold feeling began to ebb away.

"Mooooove....asiiiiiide...." It whispered.

Roman knew this thing was about to go back to where Virgil and Patton were. He wanted to stand his ground, to not let the figure pass...but knew he had to...

Reluctantly, he stepped to the side. He assumed Logan heard the whispering too, because he also stepped out of the way.

The black figure slowly walked between them, headed for the back of the tavern. Once it passed, Logan looked up slightly and met Roman's gaze. There was fear in both of their eyes. They didn't know how Patton and Virgil would respond to the figure's tactics...

Roman looked over as he watched the figure get closer and closer to the two of them. He caught Virgil's eye and silently motioned for him to take a deep breath.

Virgil nodded before looking down at the ground. He was holding Patton's hand tightly. He took a deep breath and let it out...trying to keep calm.

The figure stepped up to them and Virgil could feel a chill go down his spine. He tried to distract himself by looking down at the lower half of its armor. He noticed It was carrying a large sword in the hilt on its waist. He didn't want to imagine the figure using it... 

Virgil felt goosebumps and shivered uncontrollably, which made him miss the comfort of his hoodie. The cold made him feel so exposed. His train of thought was interrupted when he heard the voice....

"Looooook....at.... meeeeeeeeeee...." The figure seemed to lean in closer, its mask merely inches from his face.

Virgil tensed up, feeling as if the gaze was going right through him. His skin started to sting from the cold. He could have sworn he was being frozen solid. What would happen if he looked? Would he be staring death right in the face? 

Patton gave Virgil's hand a supportive squeeze. It reminded him to breathe. He kept looking down at the floor, the icy gaze eventually falling away. His skin began to feel warm again.

He felt relieved for a moment, until he noticed Patton starting to shiver and his hand grew cold. Virgil squeezed Patton's hand in an attempt to comfort him. 

Patton knew the creature was looking at him like it did with the others. He saw Roman and Logan go through it, and felt Virgil's hand turn cold when the figure was looking at him, but it didn't prepare him for the whispers. 

"Looook....at.... meeeeeeeeeee...."

He felt so cold, so afraid...

Why was this happening?...Was this a normal thing for the people in this town? Was this why they were all so scared? Did he and the others cause these things to come here? 

He couldn't stop shivering or shake the voice out of his head. He felt Virgil squeezing his hand back, reminding him that it was going to be okay. He kept looking down, ignoring the voice and ignoring the cold, breathing through the pain. 

The figure slowly turned away from him, and started going towards the door. Its heavy steps echoing in the quiet room. It passed by Roman and Logan and stopped next to the woman by the door. It turned and looked at her for a moment more, before turning forward and walking through the doorway and down the steps, followed by the other two dark figures.

The woman slowly closed the door, locking it and heaving a sigh of relief.

"Are they gone?" Roman whispered. The woman nodded to him.

"For now...yes." She said through deep breaths. She looked out the window and saw the figures going into another building across the street. "But the longer you stay in this town, the more danger you're in." She turned to the four of them. "They have spies everywhere...that's why they came. Someone told them you were here."

"But why us? We haven't done anything wrong!" Roman exclaimed.

"Really? Nothing?" Logan said as he crossed his arms. "Didn't look like nothing back in the smuggler camp."

"They were literal criminals, Logan!" Roman replied defensively. "They were going to sell me, and possibly Patton, into slavery. Doesn't any of that matter? Or would that have been a relief to you?"

"We could have avoided that whole situation if you didn't walk into that camp without a plan!"

The woman looked past the two men arguing and gave a questioning look to Patton and Virgil. They both just shrugged defeatedly, shaking their heads. She stepped up to Roman and Logan.

"That's enough boys!" She pushed them away from each other. "It doesn't matter what you did or didn't do...the townspeople called them here because you're foreign to them. If they didn't turn you in, they would have been killed..."

Logan and Roman looked at her with shocked expressions. 

"The four of you are far more important than you know..." She continued. "Those things patrol this kingdom specifically looking for you. We got lucky...because the people only recognized you for your strange clothes. But once they recognize your faces, you'll be in grave danger no matter where you go."

The four of them all looked at her, the strangeness of the situation settling in.

"But..." Patton said softly. "Why are they looking for us? We aren't a threat to these people...are we?"

The woman looked at him, seeing the fear in his eyes. She looked at the other's faces, realizing that she may have been a little too direct with her approach.

"It's alright hun, you aren't a threat...." She said reassuringly. "While your presence here does attract danger...in a way...it's necessary. Because believe it or not, if I'm correct about who you are...." She paused. 

"...you four are the heroes we've been waiting for."


	10. Gray Rock Tavern

The four of them all gave her dumbfounded looks, completely speechless.

Heroes?

What?

"I realize this must be a lot..." She said. "Let me explain over dinner. You fellas seem to have been through a lot today, and it's the least I can do after literally scaring your pants off..."

She went into the kitchen to get started on the food, leaving the four of them in the main room.

The red lemur crawled out from under the keg and hoped up onto one of the tables. Patton went over to check on him.

Virgil sat down, tiredly leaning on his elbow.

Roman and Logan stood standing.

"This is getting absolutely ridiculous." Logan said shaking his head. "Heroes? Really? What are we? In some sort of fantasy film?"

"I sure hope so!" Roman declared. "This is the exact thing I've been dreaming of my whole life. A chance to prove myself! A chance to fight for what's right! Isn't this amazing!?"

Roman looked expectantly at the others.

Logan looked at him disapprovingly, Virgil was too tired to care, and Patton was too preoccupied with the fur ball.

"Oh come on! Don't you see? This is our chance to do something incredible! What are we going to accomplish at home? Absolutely nothing. We have the chance to be heroes, let's be heroes!" He said triumphantly. "This is a once in a life-time chance to do something good with our lives..."

"Roman, enough of this. This is not a performance that you can just play 'hero' in and walk home unscathed. Do you think that situation we just went through was fun? Do you think Patton and Virgil almost getting killed near that river was fun? Do you think escaping from criminals was fun? We've just gotten lucky...but if we keep going down this path...our luck is going to run out."

Roman crossed his arms and huffed out of frustration, not wanting to give Logan any sort of satisfaction. 

He glanced at Virgil and Patton, guilt slowly rising in his chest. He pushed the feeling down before speaking again. 

"One has to learn to adapt to their surroundings, Logan.... You can't always plan your way around things."

"I can damn well try." 

***

The five of them sat together eating dinner. The woman served the travelers bowls of hot vegetable soup and the red lemur a plentiful bowl of uncooked vegetables. They were all thankful to finally have a good meal.

After a while of eating in silence, Patton spoke up.

"So..what were those things that came into the tavern?"

The woman ate another spoonful of soup before she spoke.

"They have many names, but most people here call them the 'Soulless'. They're evil spirits sent by Aldaroth to gain information and do his bidding. If you make eye contact with them, it allows them to look into your soul and read your thoughts. Every memory...every lie...every piece of information you know...they'll see it."

"And here I thought 'eyes are the gateway to the soul' was just a saying..." Logan muttered.

"So then...if we looked into their eyes...they would have seen our memories from home?" Patton asked.

"Yes, exactly. They would've seen you were foreigners and it would've given you away immediately." She said with a nod, taking a swig of her mead. "But you all did well. I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to explain it earlier...time was of the essence."

"Oh you don't have to apologize." Patton said quickly. "We would have been in deep trouble if it wasn't for you..."

The woman smiled, seemingly relieved.

"I'm glad I could help." She said softly.

Roman downed the last bit of his soup and put the bowl back on the table, looking at the woman sitting across from him.

"Might I say that this soup is heavenly, ma'am!" He said gratefully. "Do you, by chance, have extra to spare?"

The woman stifled a laugh, amused at his eagerness.

"Sure hun, feel free to get as much as you'd like from the pot back there." She said, gesturing toward the fire. Roman got up excitedly and hurried to get seconds.

Logan looked over to the woman, finally asking the question that was on his mind.

"Madam, if you don't mind me asking...is your name...Rosmerta?"

She grinned, taking a sip of mead out of her wooden mug.

"I suppose we didn't have much chance for introductions earlier, did we?" She laughed. "Yes, my name is Rosmerta."

"Excellent." Logan breathed a sigh of relief. "We were trying to find you, but we were lucky enough for you to find us. My name is Logan. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Rosmerta."

"The pleasure is all mine." She nodded approvingly, surprised at his politeness.

Roman came back with his second bowl of soup while Patton jumped into the conversation.

"Since we're doing introductions, my name is Patton..." He said with a grin, gesturing to himself. "That there is Roman." He pointed to Roman already scarfing down more soup. "And this..."

He put a hand on Virgil's shoulder, who was in the middle of falling asleep with his head propped up on his hand. "is Virgil."

"Huh.....what?" Virgil said, looking around groggily.

"Don't worry, hun." Rosmerta said to Virgil. "I've got plenty of open rooms. You boys can get a good rest here before tomorrow."

Virgil nodded slightly before resting his head on his hand again.

"If I might ask...what is the plan for tomorrow?" Logan asked.

"I'm going to send a message tonight to the nearby members of The Alliance. They have a camp not far from here. They will be able to give you all the help you'll need for your journey. If all goes well, we should be able to get you out of here early tomorrow morning before anyone has the chance to recognize you."

"Journey, you say?" Roman said, perking up at the word.

"Yes" She paused. "Now I know this might sound odd...but I truly believe that the four of you are the heroes from the prophecy. The ones we've been waiting for...for a long. long time..."

"Us? Really?" Virgil said, barely staying conscious at this point. "But we're all just...normal people. Nothing special."

"I must agree with Virgil." Logan admitted. "I would assume you are looking for a group of warriors who are adept at fighting and have athletic capability...ones who have gained years of training and experience... I'm sorry to say that is not us. We have had no 'heroic' experiences whatsoever."

"Speak for yourself, nerd." Roman said after finishing his soup. "I think some of us have what it takes."

"This is not a game, Roman." Logan said sternly. "We talked about this."

"Life in itself is a game, Logan. What's the point of it all if you don't take chances? You should live a little."

"The point is to not end life sooner than it should..." He looked over to Rosmerta. "Is there some way we could get back home from here? Leave this place?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't know... You'd have to ask The Alliance. They know way more about your situation than I do." She admitted.

"Ah, Very well." Logan said with a nod. "Well I must thank you for your food and hospitality, Rosmerta. I know all of us really appreciate your assistance..." He stood up from his chair, side-eyeing Roman. "If you'll excuse me, I think I may turn in for the evening."

"Of course, all of the beds are made upstairs." She said, gesturing to the staircase near the wall. 

Logan went up the stairs. Roman waited until he walked into one of the rooms and shut the door before speaking up.

"I swear swear to god...he thinks he knows everything, but put him in a situation he doesn't understand...he immediately cracks." Roman vented frustratingly. "He can't just make things happen how he wants!"

"He's just stressed, Roman..." Patton said softly. "This place is new and strange for everyone...he's just trying to keep all of us safe, and that includes you."

"How great is an adventure when you have an overprotective mom trying to keep everyone 'safe'?" Roman said, throwing his hands up in the air. 

Patton gave him a stern look, crossing his arms. Roman looked at him for a few seconds before sighing defeatedly, his hands falling in his lap. 

"Alright, alright...I guess the nerd does have a point...kind of."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Virgil slumping out of his chair and falling to the ground. 

"Oh my god! Virgil!" Patton gasped, leaning down next to him.

Roman and Rosmerta got out of their chairs and hurried over.

"Is he alright?" Rosmerta asked.

"He's okay, he's just really tired..." Roman said, crouching down, trying to shake him awake. "Virgil...Virgil?"

He was unconscious alright. 

Roman sighed.

"He's going to hate me for this..." 

He put his arms under Virgil's legs and back, lifting him up and holding him in his arms. Virgil seemed to unconsciously lean into Roman's chest comfortably. 

This seemed to surprise Roman more than anything.

"...Um...well...I suppose this is goodnight. Thank you for everything, Rosmerta."

"You're very welcome. Let me know if you need help." She said.

"Much appreciated." Roman replied. He turned and went up the stairs with Virgil in his arms.

Rosmerta and Patton watched them go up the stairs and head into one of the open rooms. Patton smiled knowingly at the two of them...

"Glad to see everyone in better spirits than when I first saw you..." Rosmerta said with a smile. "I'm going to get started on the dishes." She stood up, collecting bowls.

"Oh please, let me help you." Patton said, standing up and collecting mugs. She smiled.

"Thank you, dear."

The two of them cleaned the dishes and Patton insisted on helping her with other chores so she had the chance to write her letter. 

He picked up the broom and began sweeping the tavern floor, humming to himself. He felt the urge to dance...

Then he remembered the cafe.

The sweeping.

The dancing.

Angela...

He never made it back that morning, which meant she had to open the shop all by herself. Patton felt so disheartened, like he let her down. Was she mad? Did she think he skipped out on her? Would he ever get the chance to apologize?

Just the thought of it made him sad... 

But...maybe they would get back. 

...Maybe he'll see her again.

...see home again.

Whatever they face, they can get through it, right?

Yeah.

They'll get home.

 

They'll be okay.


	11. The Alliance

It was early the next morning, just before the sun came up. 

The six of them snuck out of the tavern and into the chilly morning air. The only sound that could be heard in the darkness was a dog barking a few streets over. 

Rosmerta led the group to the edge of town and into the forest.

They walked through the foliage for a few minutes before arriving at a dirt road. Rosmerta motioned for them to stop and whistled, signaling a horse drawn carriage to pull around the corner, driven by a young boy with ginger hair.

She turned to the four of them.

"Alright boys, remember what I told you." She said, pulling her shawl tighter around herself. "It's going to be difficult, but you have to be careful who you trust in this world. You've all got big targets on your backs."

"Thank you, Rosmerta..." Patton said softly, his eyes watering. "For everything... You've been so kind to us." 

"Oh hun..." Rosmerta smiled, bringing Patton in for a hug. "I think you boys have earned the right to call me Rosie."

They pulled away, Patton smiling through a few tears.

Rosie had grown fond of the four boys because they reminded her so much of her own son. She couldn't help but feel a maternal connection with them. She had so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to tell them about this world, but they were running out of time. They were in for a lot of trouble, and she had to pass on as much wisdom as she could before they left.

"Will we get to see you again?" Virgil asked, a slight sadness in his voice. 

She was the only person so far that genuinely wanted to help them. What if what she said about trusting people was true? What were the chances of them finding someone like her again? They had no idea who or what this 'Alliance' was, and now they were headed straight for it...

Rosie gave Virgil a reassuring hug.

"It'll be dangerous for you to come back to town for a while...but I believe in my heart that we'll see each other again. Just remember that if you ever need help down the line...or if it seems like everyone else has given up on you...Come to me. You boys will always have a place in my tavern."

Roman came over and took her hand, giving her a slight bow.

"You are a blessing, Rosie." He gave her a goodbye hug. 

While in the embrace, Rosie thought about Roman and Logan's quarrel. Patton told her more about it last night while they were doing chores. She knew that their arrogance would eventually be their downfall... so she needed to guide them as best as she could if they were going to have a fighting chance.

Rosie leaned in and spoke quietly to Roman.

"Remember dear...if you want to be heard...you have to listen...communication is the key to everything."

They pulled out of the hug and Roman had a slightly guilty look on his face, understanding what she was referring to. He gave her a silent nod, agreeing to try.

Rosie turned to Logan. He held out his hand to her.

"It has been a pleasure meeting you. I hope our paths cross again one day."

She gave him a polite nod and accepted the handshake with a firm grip. Logan smiled, pleased to avoid physical contact.

"Now, now...don't think you're gettin out of this hug..." She joked, pulling Logan towards her and embracing him. "Some motherly advice..." She whispered. "Sometimes, it's better to bend than to break when things are out of your control."

She patted him on the back and pulled away. He stood there deep in thought, comprehending what she just said before giving her a firm nod of acceptance. She smiled back, turning to the rest of them.

"Eustace here will take you to boys to their camp. Don't worry, he's a good kid." She winked at the ginger boy and pat one of the horses. 

Eustace waved shyly at the four of them, a small smile forming on his freckled face.

"Alright now, go on. Get aboard." She ushered them to the carriage door. "The sun will be rising soon." 

The four of them got in, followed by the lemur hopping into Patton's lap. Rosie shut the door behind them. They looked out at her through the window as the carriage slowly started moving forward.

"Oh!" She called out. "...if you meet my son, Theo, give him a kick for me and tell that boy to write his mother!"

They all quietly chuckled.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Roman called out to her, waving through the window. Rosie waved back to him, watching them leave.

She couldn't help feeling a little worried about them...

***

They had been riding in the carriage for 40 minutes now according to Logan's watch.

And Yes, of course Logan still had his watch.

He managed to hide it under his shirt sleeve after he changed back at the tavern. He just couldn't give it up. He had to keep something...something to remind him of home, of his sanity.

He messed with the dial on the side, like one would anxiously mess with a fidget cube.

The concept of time was comforting. It was the one stable phenomenon that this world seemed to abide by. Logan had to adjust the watch every now and then to try and make it more accurate, but from what he could tell, the world had a simple, cyclic time pattern. 

He sat in the carriage and looked out the window at the passing trees, the low sunlight peaking through the leaves. He thought about what Rosie said to him before they left. 

It's better to bend than to break when things seem out of your control...

It was similar to something Roman had always been telling him, but somehow...hearing her say it made it stick in his mind. Maybe she was right...

Everything was out of his control here.

He couldn't explain what happened to them... 

He couldn't find a way home...

He couldn't stop Roman from his reckless decisions...

So... what could he control? What could he do to ensure they made it out of here? How could he bend when everything around him was new and unpredictable? He could easily make a wrong choice if he just rolled with the punches like Roman did...

He felt stumped. 

It was like a riddle he couldn't crack.

***

The carriage finally stopped, causing the four of them to sit up and look out the windows.

They were amazed by what they saw.

They were in a bustling campsite filled with large white tents. 

There were a lot of diverse people and other worldly creatures walking around, Some in heavy metal armor, others in thin leather armor and robes. They all carried weapons. Swords, axes, bows, staffs, you name it. There were were multiple campfires around, the smell of smoke and pork filled the air. 

They could hear chatting and laughing as groups walked by. Some of them turned to look at the carriage, curious at who the new arrivals were.

A young woman who couldn't be older than twenty came up to the carriage, opening the door.

She had short, dirty-blond hair that went barely to her shoulders and she wore black leather armor with blue accents and a teardrop-like symbol sewn onto her shoulder pads. She carried a one-handed sword in the hilt on her belt, and a leather shield on her back.

"Heya fellas!" She said with an excited expression, looking between them. "It's such an honor to meet you guys. My name's Jess! I'm the lucky gal in charge of welcoming you to...wait for it." She stepped aside, pulling the door open and gesturing to the campground. "Bum-ba-da-daaa! The Alliance!" 

"Absolutely incredible..." Roman said under his breath, obvious excitement spreading across his face.

The four of them stepped out of the carriage, looking around. The people who were minding their own business before were now looking at them with astounding expressions, whispers spreading among them.

Virgil felt a little on edge.

"Oh don't worry about them, they're all just really excited." Jess said reassuringly. "We've been preparing for your arrival for a while now! But more of that can wait of course. There's someone who wants to meet you... follow me!"

She began walking through the camp. Roman followed behind her with a spring in his step, and the others followed suit. All eyes were trained on them as they passed. 

Jess gave them a small tour of the place as they walked.

"That there is the medical tent, used for well...obvious reasons haha....this one is the armory with the training grounds behind it......these larger tents here are our sleeping quarters. Not the most comfortable if you ask me, but after a long day you'll want to conk out on almost anything .... And oh, and my personal favorite..." 

She paused, looking fondly at the tent with her hands on her hips.

"...The dining tent! Geoff is our cook here, and he is making a Roast Pig for tonight." She leaned in to whisper to them. "Honestly, you guys are in for a treat. He's the best cook around here, but well...don't tell him I said that."

A tall, strong-looking man with, reddish-brown hair, and a stubbled beard walked out holding a sack of apples over his shoulder.

"Is that flattery I hear?" He said with a smug grin. "Or are you trying to steal from my pantry again?"

"Psh, flattery? You wish big guy." She started walking away backwards, leading the group to their next destination. "And if I was trying to steal from you, you wouldn't see me coming." She pulled an apple out from behind her back, quickly tossing it in the air and catching it before taking a bite out of it.

Geoff swiftly looked at the sack of apples he was holding and back at Jess, bewildered. He smirked at her and shook his head.

***

"Here it is. The captain's tent." Jess put her hands on her hips, pausing at a large ornate tent with a couple guards posted on either side. "He'll be able to fill you in."

She walked up to the tent flap and the guards parted it for them to walk through. Inside, there was a large table with a map in the middle. Stood on the opposite side of the table was a thin man in black leather armor looking intently at the map before him. He had short black hair, a sharp jawline, and a short, well-kept goatee. His eyes were light blue and he had a paler complexion.

"Hey George!" Jess called out.

The man looked up at them, a pleasant realization growing on his face.

"Greetings!" He smiled, walking around the table. "I've been told of your arrival. Thank you, Jess, for bringing them here." 

"No problem, I'll catch you guys later." She replied with a wave before exiting the tent. 

George reached out and shook hands with Roman. "I'm known as Captain Krowood, but please feel free to call me George."

"It's great to meet you, sir." Roman said excitedly, giving him a firm handshake. "My name is Roman, Roman Hayes. This is Patton Foster, Logan Adams, and Virgil Gray."

"Wonderful." George shook all of their hands in greeting. He walked back around the table. "You've arrived at a good time. Things have been getting worse around here, and we could greatly use your assistance."

"Assistance in what exactly?" Logan asked, walking over to look at the map.

"The war, of course!" George gestured to the map and looked up at them, leaning his hands on the table. When met with confused looks, he spoke again."I realize as foreigners you may not be aware of the hardships we've been under all this time. Allow me to elaborate."

The four of them nodded, listening intently.

"It's best to start at the beginning... The legend says that at the beginning of time, before the universe was created, there were two powerful sorcerers...a woman born of light, Eodine, and a man born of darkness, Aldaroth. As siblings of creation, they used their combined powers to create the entirety of the universe, including you, me, and this world that we call Molidia. Everything was in balance. Eodine and Aldaroth were pleased with their work and left the people to their own devices for centuries, trusting their integrity. However, about a thousand years ago, Aldaroth was curious enough to come to Molidia, where he witnessed the crimes of his people. He watched as they waged wars against one another fueled by greed and lust for power. Enraged that his people would disrespect the land given to them, Aldaroth lashed out, plunging the whole world into darkness and starting a massacre against those responsible for the behavior, rising dead spirits to aid in his so called 'justice' spree. Eodine felt the imbalance of the scale and rushed to Molidia, trying to stop her brother from destroying everything they've built. But he was just too strong. He wouldn't allow her to get close enough to reason with him. So, in a last ditch effort, Eodine reached out toward nearby worlds, calling upon heroes to entrust her power to and send to stop Aldaroth's frenzy. It is said she chose four heroes with unique strengths that could defeat any evil: Heroes of wisdom, courage, power, and compassion. In a combined effort, these heroes defeated Aldaroth and bound his power, allowing Eodine to gain control again and imprision her brother, giving the light back to Molidia. The world was in balance once again...that is...until now. It is almost the 1000th year anniversary of his defeat and he is gaining strength once again...I doubt it is much of a coincidence..." 

George finished, looking at the group for signs of understanding.

"Wow..." Was all Patton could say.

"...Aldaroth..." Logan thought aloud. "Rosie mentioned his name back at the tavern. He was the one who sent those things...the soulless, I believed she called them."

"Yes, the soulless are his soldiers." George affirmed. "They are spirits from another realm sent to do his bidding. Since you all made it here, I would assume they didn't recognize you?"

"Luckily, no." Logan replied.

"Perfect, that gives us more time. Now look here..."

George pointed to a large valley in the middle of the map. The four of them crowded around the table.

"This is the valley currently under our protection." He pointed to one of the small blue dots. "And this is the camp we are in right now, Camp Freliss."

He gestured to the large mass of darkness surrounding the valley. 

"All of this... is the territory Aldaroth has already plunged into darkness."

"But...that's almost the whole map..." Virgil said looking up at George.

"Precisely." George nodded. "He has reign over most of Molidia now...and as far as we know, this valley is the only place he hasn't taken..."

"Hmm...How has the darkness not spread here yet?" Roman asked curiously. George looked over to him.

"Eodine's temple resides in this valley." He pointed to a large teardrop symbol on the map. "It is a sacred place that links her light to this world. She's been using her power to create a force field around the area to keep Aldaroth out. However, she cannot keep out the soulless soldiers, which is why he's been using them as spies. We here at the Alliance have been doing what we can to fend them off, but in these past few months, the force field of light has been shrinking and we are slowly losing ground... We fear Eodine is losing power..."

"Oh no...that's terrible...it's no wonder all those people in town were so afraid..." Patton looked at the map with a worried expression. "How can we help?" He asked, looking at George expectantly.

"Yes indeed, George, how may we assist you?" Roman repeated, a valiant look in his eye. "We'll do whatever it takes to help you and your people."

The captain's face lit up at seeing the two heroes so determined already.

"What we need to do, is get you four to Eodine's temple as soon as possible. Only she can bestow upon you the Powers of Old. She will be able to direct us from there."

"This is crazy..." Virgil said, shaking his head and backing away from the table. "This is fucking crazy..."

At least Logan wasn't the only one thinking it.

"I know it's a lot to take in..." George admitted. "...But we need you...all of you."

Logan decided to speak up.

"All of this sounds very serious, and I'm sorry your people are in danger..." Logan said, addressing the captain. "...But Virgil is right, this is crazy... this has all been a mistake. We aren't the saviors that you think we are...we're normal people with normal lives back home. You must be looking for someone else."

"We haven't had foreigners come to Molidia for a long time and suddenly four of you show up on our doorstep?" George said. "It's hardly a coincidence...I believe it's fate that you all ended up here, no matter where you came from."

"There's no such thing as fate." Logan stated. "We just need a way to get back home and we'll be out of your hair. If you believe in fate, then your heroes will show up eventually, right? As it was 'destined' to happen? You don't need us to stay."

The captain thought for a moment.

"Alright, fair point..." He said to Logan. An idea popping into his head. "...How about a fair bet to see who's right?"

Logan pondered the idea, intrigued by what the captain had to say.

"Go on."

"You let us take the four of you to the Temple of Light to talk to Eodine..." George said, pointing to the temple location on the map. "...and if she deems you unworthy of being the Heroes of Old, then we'll get her assistance to open a portal home for all of you. You can return with no strings attached. But, If it turns out that you are the Heroes of Old, then you stay here and help us against Aldaroth."

"Hmm..." Logan considered his offer. "...Seems like a fair deal." He said, holding out his hand to the captain, a pleased look on his face. 

The sorceress was their ticket home. That's all he needed to know.

George took his hand and they shook on it.

"Alright then!" The captain declared as he walked toward the entrance of the tent, grabbing his coat. "We shall leave at once!"

He left the tent, with Roman and Patton following behind. Virgil and Logan hesitated for a moment.

"Do you think there's a chance that he's right?" Virgil asked him, watching the others start to walk through the camp.

Logan looked at him with an unsure expression.

 

"There's only one way to find out."


	12. In Ruins

"Looks like I'm joining you guys!" 

Jess hopped into the carriage that Roman and Patton were already sitting in. Logan, Virgil, and Captain Krowood got into another wagon, while guards on horseback posted themselves around the carriages.

"Great!" Patton said, scooting over so she could sit next to him. "Do you know if the temple is far from here?"

Jess settled into the seat, placing her sword and shield in the space next to Roman. The carriages begging moving along.

"It's a bit of a ride, but shouldn't take too long. We'll be back way before dinner for sure..." Jess said before glancing at the lemur sitting in Patton's lap. A warm smile grew on her face. "Well hello! I don't think we've met yet. What's your name?"

The furry creature responded gleefully with small chirps.

"Ah, Niko. That's such a nice name! I'm Jess." She said, reaching a hand out to him to shake in greeting.

Patton and Roman's jaws collectively dropped. 

"Wait, you... actually understand him?" Roman asked, glancing between her and the creature.

"I sure can," Jess said with a smirk. "Pretty cool right? It's one of the perks of being an animal shifter."

Before they could ask more questions, the lemur, now known as Niko, tugged on her sleeve. He chirped and chittered at her, moving his arms with emphasis as he began explaining something. Jess nodded along, listening intently to his story. Roman and Patton just watched with curiosity, not wanting to interrupt.

When Niko stopped, he seemed to shrink down a bit. Jess looked at him with a sorry expression.

"Wow I'm...I'm so sorry..." 

She turned to Patton and Roman who were looking at her expectantly. 

"Niko just told me his story...its...well... he wants me to share it with you."

Patton looked at the shameful expression on Niko's face, worried about what the story could be...He looked up at Jess as she spoke up.

"It turns out that Niko is actually the prince of a kinkajou tribe on the Isle of SuS. It's not inhabited by anyone else, because the island is surrounded by strong gusts of wind, too dangerous for ship sails to get past. His father is the current chief, and before the world was plunged into darkness, Niko was going to take up his position, but before that could happen...a ship of sailors came ashore. They started stealing the island's natural resources. Niko wanted to stop the invaders from destroying their home, but his father told him not to, because it was too dangerous. He didn't listen and led a group of kinkajous to attack the foreigners..." She paused, looking at Niko. He looked toward the floorboards of the carriage. "...They were all captured and sold, spread across the forbidden market... he has no idea where the others are. And now that the world is full of darkness, he's worried about what's happened to everyone."

Patton looked at Niko, who just sat down on the cushioned seat, too ashamed to make eye contact.

"Aw Niko...It's not your fault. I'm sure they understand you wanted to protect your home turf." Patton said gently. 

Niko just shook his head silently. 

"Patton's right," Roman spoke up. "You were just trying to do what's right for your people, no matter the risk. It was a brave, decisive and...well...as Logan would probably call it, reckless decision..." Roman paused, a realization hitting him. "...huh... maybe you and I are more alike than I thought...."

Niko's ears perked up as he said that. 

He looked up at Roman, feeling slightly better knowing he wasn't alone. Roman returned the look, glad that there was another creature who has had similar challenges with decision making.

Patton began putting things together.

"Now it makes sense why you didn't run away when I freed you from your cage back there." He stated. "You stayed behind to see if there were any kinkajous from your tribe..."

Niko nodded.

"And that's why you still wanted to travel with us after we left the camp... You want to see if we came across any of your friends along the way?"

The kinkajou chirped, jumping up and down on the seat. 

"You fought smugglers and joined a group of foreigners just to save your people, now that's what a brave chief does, Niko!" Patton said with a smile. " Don't worry, we're going to help you in any way we can." 

Jess looked over to them.

"So you guys ran into some smugglers on your way here?"

Patton and Roman looked at each other, thinking back to the chaotic experience of the smuggler camp.

"Yes," Roman sighed, rolling his eyes, "It was this... buffoon named Hugoblex and his pitiful gang." 

"You guys ran into Blex?!" She started laughing. "That guy is hilarious! Insane, definitely, but you gotta love him. Haha"

"Love him?? He was going to sell me like some illegally-crated animal!" Roman protested.

"Yeahhh...he gets like that sometimes..." She shrugged awkwardly. "I swear, we've tried countless times to get Blex and his crew to be a part of the Alliance and stop his...side business, but he refuses every time. He doesn't want to be seen as a 'good guy', says it'll ruin his 'infamous reputation.'"

"Psh, well who needs him?" Roman scoffed. "We'll have all we need to save the world once we get to this temple, right?" 

"Right." Jess nodded, settling back into her seat comfortably. "It shouldn't be much longer."

Roman and Patton sat back, looking out the window at the passing landscape. Niko laid down on the seat cushion, ready to take a nap. They enjoyed the warm breeze flowing through the carriage, thinking about the days to come. 

All that was left to do, was wait.

 

***

 

"Here it is, Eodine's Temple." 

The captain stood in front of a rocky mountainside, Ivy and moss adorned the white stones. He took out his dagger, cutting down the ivy to reveal a smooth, stone door with the teardrop symbol on it. They all stood around the entrance appreciating the beauty of the nature around them.

"There's no handle...or lock... how are we going to open it?" Virgil asked skeptically.

"You are going to open it." He said with a smile. "The four of you are the only ones who can. She sealed off the entrance when the world started to fall in order to protect her powers that she's saving for you. 

The four of them looked at each other.

"The door should know who you are, so I think if all of you touch it, it will open." The captain stated before stepping back and gesturing them toward the door.

Roman and Patton got up to the door first and placed their hands on it, nothing happened. They looked back at Logan and Virgil.

"Come on Debbie Downers, we need you two." Roman said to the two of them, hand still on the door.

"It'll be okay." Patton said, looking at Virgil. "Remember, if anything happens, we're all in it together, no matter what."

Virgil looked at Patton and sighed... everything about this was stressful. How did they know it was safe in there? Could be a trick... 

He would much rather be in his room right now with all the lights off, curled up in his bed, listening to music, and not this...but did he have a choice? Not in the slightest.

"You know what...Fuck it." 

Virgil shrugged and walked over, going between Roman and Patton to put his hand on the door. Patton smiled proudly.

They all looked back at Logan.

"Come on, Specs. Your turn." Roman beckoned. "Please don't make this any more complicated than it has to be."

Logan tried not to simmer too much on Roman's tone.

"It's just a slab of stone, not a working door. If I came up there, we would just look like four idiots with our hands on a rock."

"Well... the three of us would stop looking like idiots with our hands on a rock if you'd get your ass over here and touch it already." Roman said impatiently.

Logan glanced at the captain, who gestured him toward the door, reminding him of their previous agreement. 

He let out a defeated breath.

"Alright, I'll play into the nonsense..." He said as he walked over to the door, reaching his hand out, "...but you're all going to see that this was just a waste of--"

As soon as he touched the door, the teardrop lit up a bright blue and a rumble could be heard within the mountain. The four of them stumbled back, covering their eyes as dust and rocks fell from the cliffs above them. When the rumbling stopped and the debris settled, they opened their eyes to see that the stone door was gone, revealing the entrance. 

Everyone cheered in excitement, even Virgil was quite amazed. 

Logan just stood there, dumbfounded. Roman came up behind him and eagerly slapped his hand on Logan's shoulder.

"Better get used to it, buddy!" He laughed. "We're here for the long haul!" Roman pat him on the shoulder before heading through the door with that smug grin of his.

The rest of the group filed into the temple, with a couple guards staying back with the carriages. Patton was about to follow everyone in until he noticed Logan not moving. He turned around and looked worriedly at him. He seemed distant...looking at the ground deep in thought.

"...Logan...You alright?"

There was no response.

Patton knew that when Logan was deep in thought, he couldn't hear or see anything around him. So he walked over and gently grabbed Logan's hand. 

Logan immediately perked up at the contact, meeting Patton's gaze.

"Come walk with me, Logan. I think you're gonna like this place." Patton said with a soft smile as he pulled him along.

Logan stayed silent, but let Patton lead him inside.

When they walked into Eodine's Temple, glowing blue crystals lit up their surroundings. 

They could tell it used to be a pristine, sacred place once, but now it was covered in ivy, fungi, and various flowering plants that wrapped around fallen columns and grew on caved-in rubble. No one has been here for a very long time.

"You know, this temple kinda look like old Roman ruins, or... would it be Greek ruins?" He laughed.

"Well, historically, they share similar architectural styles. It's easy to mistake what originated from whom if you don't know their unique characteristics..." Logan said softly. A hint of his modern-day self showing. "I suppose this place is held up in a similar way..."

"Right? That's what I thought." Patton said, an idea popped into his head. "Could you...maybe... tell me more about how Greek and Roman architecture is different? Cause I have no clue."

Logan's face lit up. 

"I- well I would love to!" A smile spread across his face as they walked further into the temple. "You see, most people don't realize that..."

Patton let Logan ramble on. 

Some of the things he said went through one ear and out the other, but Patton was just so captivated by the way Logan spoke that he didn't want him to stop...

He really missed seeing Logan so passionate about something.

 

***

 

The group made their way to the grand altar room in the center of the temple. 

It was a round chamber with a high ceiling and a white marble adornments. There was a large golden statue of a beautiful woman on the far wall, with two ornate, golden fish on either side of her. In the middle of the room, stood a white, marble table that held a large, purple, glass ball on top of it. Strewn around the floor were wilted flowers and gold trinkets, most likely offerings from the past.

Roman was absolutely enchanted by the magical look of the place. Then again, he was excited about literally everything that was happening here. They were finally getting an adventure with danger, quests, and honorable deeds. It was all one big dream come true for him. 

Sometimes Virgil couldn't help but laugh at his exaggerated enthusiasm over it all.

The captain crouched down near the alter, studying the mess on the floor. 

"People would come here all the time for guidance and prayer. They would bring offerings like these to please Eodine and gain her blessings." He stated, picking up one of the wilted flowers. "...But she was never greedy for offerings and praise. If anything, Eodine was best known for her humility, and her love for mortals...She was so curious about how we've changed and evolved over the centuries. She would listen to our emotional pains and hardships... guiding us to the path of light... People would come from all across Molidia just to speak with her..." He set the flower back on the ground. "But it's been so long now, she closed herself off ever since Aldaroth started gaining strength....just when we needed her the most...just when they......when my..."

The captain clenched his fist as a pained expression grew on his face. Jess crouched down next to him and placed a comforting hand on his back, whispering that everything was alright. He gave her a thankful glance before standing up and composing himself.

"None of that matters now..." He continued. "It's what we do here and now that counts. We can fix all of this...everything Aldaroth has done."

Roman made eye contact with him and gave the captain an understanding nod.

"We can, and we will, George." Roman stated. "Is there a way we can contact Eodine from here?"

"Yes, you four must stand around the altar, touching this orb while I read the incantation. If all goes well, the door underneath the statue should open and give you access to Eodine's chamber." The captain replied, retrieving a small notebook from his coat and flipping through the pages.

Patton looked at Logan and gestured to the table, giving him a questioning thumbs up. Logan glanced over to him, his mind reeling. He could almost hear Rosie's voice. 

It's better to bend than to break...

She's right. He can't keep protesting and holding the others back. If magic is real and they're stuck in this place for a while...then he needed to learn as much about magic as possible to keep them safe.

He took a deep breath and nodded to Patton, reassuring him that he was doing alright.

Roman and Virgil walked over to the table first, followed by Patton and Logan. 

Logan was the first one to place his hand on the purple orb, which prompted Roman to laugh.

"No hesitation this time? Am I crazy or are you starting to believe in magic, Logan?" Roman smiled smugly at Logan, who stood across from him.

"Just shut up and put your hand on the orb, Roman." Logan retorted, trying to hide the small smile on his face as he glanced toward Patton.

Roman put his hand on his chest, mocking as if he was offended. He noticed Virgil trying to stifle a laugh.

He liked hearing Virgil laugh, so Roman gave Logan a fake salute.

"Yes sir! Logan, sir!" He chanted, putting his hand on the orb. 

Virgil briefly let out his laugh, before putting a hand over his mouth. Roman looked over at him with a smirk on his face that made Virgil's cheeks turn pink. He quickly turned back towards the group.

"Alright, idiots, let's just get this done." Virgil said still slightly smiling. He put his hand on the orb, side-eyeing Roman.

With everyone now in place, the captain began reading the incantation from his book...

"Eodine dea, exaudi orationem meam..."

The purple orb started to glow slightly, the light illuminating their faces...

"Et bellatorem tuum huc Fatum implere..."

The temple began to shake, the purple orb glowing brighter and brighter, becoming warm to the touch. The four of them tried their best to keep steady.

"Aperi ianuam ad divinum lumen..."

The orb was searing hot at this point, like putting their hands on a hot cauldron. The rumbling became even louder, they could barely hear the captain's chants. He had to shout the last line.

"Fiat enim homines istos iungere nostra pugna!"

Suddenly a strong force blasted out from the orb.

 

Everything went white.


	13. The Grand Meeting

The light faded. All of them were laying on the ground. 

Everyone was a little shaken up after the blast, but no one was injured.

Virgil immediately looked down at his hand. When he was touching the orb, it felt like his skin was burning off. He expected to have blisters on his palm, but when he looked at it, it was completely fine as if nothing had happened.

Virgil felt relieved for a moment, that is... until he turned his hand over...

He let out a gasp.

On the back of his left hand, was the same teardrop marking he's seen everywhere since they got here. In a state of shock, he tried to rub it off, but to no avail. It was ingrained into his skin.

"Holy shit!" He heard Roman exclaim.

Virgil sat up to see Roman looking at the back of his left hand.

"Guys are you seeing this??" Roman asked, showing the three of them his hand.

"I seem to have it too..." Logan said, looking quizzically at the symbol on his own left hand.

"Wow, I've always wanted a tattoo!" Patton laughed, admiring the marking.

Virgil stood up, silently running his hands over the symbol.

"And look, Virgil has it too." Patton pointed out.

The captain walked up to them.

"That, my friends, is mark of Eodine." He smiled. "...She has deemed you worthy of her power."

The captain met eyes with Logan, who just looked from the him to the back of his hand.

Could it be true?

Could they really be the group that Eodine is looking for?

The captain pointed to the open door behind them.

"That room there is where all of your questions will be answered... we can't go with you, because only the chosen heroes are allowed in." The four of them looked at each other with concern. The captain seemed to read their expressions. "...Don't worry, this is the safest place in all of Molidia right now...we'll be waiting for you right outside when you're done."

They collectively went through the doorway under the statue and up a long set of stairs..

They came upon strangely bright room that wasn't in ruins at all. You would have thought they had traveled back in time.

The white marbled walls glistened with no speck of dust to be seen. On the ground, was a beautiful red and gold rug, leading them to a glistening white and gold throne. Golden Chalices, vases, and instruments adorned the shelves, decorated with gorgeous white flowers. Natural light streamed in through many large, open windows which, Logan mentioned, should be impossible, considering that fact that they were in the center of a mountain right now.

Strange occurrences aside, the main thing that caught their eyes in the room were the four white mannequins standing on white pedestals on either side of the throne. Each one wore a different item...A sword...a shield...a cloak...and an amulet.

The four of them spread out, admiring the room. Patton was messing with a golden harp on one of the shelves. Roman was fancying himself in a small ornate hand mirror. Virgil and Logan were looking out the window at the waterfall that was running outside.

"Fascinating..." Logan said under his breath. There was no way this window could be real, but it truly felt like they were open to the outside.

"Magic can be pretty cool, huh?" Virgil asked, enjoying the breeze and the warmth from the sun.

Logan thought about it.

Magic like this was fascinating... just imagining all the possibilities one could create with it... it was phenomenal. It was a subject he never imagined was possible to study. But now that they were here, and...potentially staying for a while...it could be... fun to learn more about it.

"Yeah." He glanced at Virgil, watching a bird fly by the window. "I suppose magic is... 'pretty cool'." 

Virgil saw the look of serene wonder and acceptance on Logan's face. He felt the underlying stress that haunted Logan begin to dissipate, allowing Virgil himself to finally relax. 

They were just enjoying the moment for once, without having to worry about what was to come. The room seemed to have a peaceful air to it. If you stayed inside, you would probably have no idea that the world was being consumed by darkness right outside.

Their peaceful moment was interrupted by the sound of a sword being pulled out of a sheath. The two of them quickly spun around to see Roman pulling out the sword that was on the mannequin's back, pretending to slash and slice an enemy in front of him.

"Roman! Put that back." Virgil demanded. "You can't just go touching shit." 

"Oh please, who's to say they aren't for us anyway?" Roman shrugged, pointing the sword at Virgil. "Plus, Eodine's not even here."

A female voice came up from behind him.

"Well, you're not wrong..."

Roman yelped, jumping at the unexpected voice. He attempted to get away, clumsily falling to the floor. Virgil snickered at him, even Logan tried to stifle a laugh. Patton gasped at the new person in the room.

Roman quickly got up and brushed himself off, trying to maintain his composure as he faced the source of the voice.

Before them sat a tall, beautiful woman in the golden and white throne. Her skin was white as snow and unnaturally glowing. She had long, dark eyelashes and warm blue eyes. Her lips were as red as her long flowing hair, which was adorned with little white flowers. She was dressed in a pale blue gown, wearing golden necklaces and bracelets.

Her looks were enchanting, and her voice was ever more so.

"You're right, Roman." She spoke sweetly. "They are for you."

"Eodine?...You...know my name?" 

"Of course." She laughed. "I know all of you. Roman Hayes, a talented actor and a strong competitor....Logan Adams, an intelligent bookkeeper and an avid learner....Patton Foster, a passionate baker and a loyal friend....and Virgil Gray, a multi-talented stagehand and a natural observer....I know of you, because I chose you."

Logan spoke up, finally asking the question burning within him.

"If I may ask...why did you choose us?" 

Eodine seemed to look right through him...right into his soul, like she knew everything that troubled him. She smiled and stood up from her throne, walking gracefully down the steps.

"I chose you, because you exhibit the required strengths needed to bear the prophecy. The four heroes that came before you a thousand years ago had the same talents, and they used these very same gifts you see here." She gestured to the first pedestal. "I'm using a lot of my reserved power to appear to you now and bestow these to you. Logan Adams...come forth..."

He carefully walked towards her.

"I bestow upon you, the Cloak of Wisdom..." With a small flick of her hand, the dark blue and gold cloak came off the mannequin and floated toward Logan. "Previously worn by Amos, a scholar from the land of Warren, it gives the wearer the ability to manipulate objects and thoughts using only the mind."

"T-Thank you..." Logan gently took the floating cloak into his hands, absolutely bewildered. The goddess gave a slight bow in response before moving to the next pedestal, which now only had a red and gold sheath on it.

"Roman Hayes... eager today as always..." Eodine said playfully, smiling down at him. 

Roman shrugged, holding the sword with a guilty look on his face. She used her magic to lift the sheath off of the mannequin. 

"...I bestow upon you, the Sword of Power, a weapon only as strong as the power of its user. Once wielded by Gallia, a merwoman from the depths of Daelyd, it gives the user incredible endurance and physical strength, capable of facing the fiercest of enemies."

Roman grabbed the sheath from the air, his eyes glistening as bright as a child on Christmas morning. He strapped the sheath onto his back and stored the sword inside, kneeling on the ground in a bow towards the Goddess.

"Thank you, Your Excellency.... I will continue to prove to you that I am worthy of your gift." 

"As I know you will." Eodine bowed her head in response, continuing down the line to the mannequin with a shield.

"Patton Foster... I bestow upon you, the Shield of Compassion." She raised the shield off of the mannequin. "Made of the most durable substance in all the universe, it will not crack under any damage. Once wielded by Jadren, a builder from the coasts of Telacia, it gives the user the ability to create protective barriers and mend wounds with only a touch."

Patton carefully grabbed the shield, admiring all of the incredible gold and pale blue details surrounding the tear drop symbol in the middle. 

"Thank you so much." He said gratefully, putting the shield on his back.

"Of course, my dear." She looked warmly at him. "I know you will utilize this power well."

Eodine moved down to the last pedestal near Virgil. He looked up at her sheepishly, not sure what to expect from the purple and gold amulet he saw on the mannequin.

"Virgil Gray..." She began, lifting the amulet. "I bestow upon you, the Amulet of Courage...a powerful source of magic. Once worn by Adeline, a young girl from Nearth, it allows the wearer to see, feel, and travel to different regions of reality that other cannot."

Virgil was taken aback as the amulet landed in his hands. 

Amulet of Courage?

Different regions of reality?

There's no way that he was chosen for this. 

He wasn't courageous...he was scared shitless of the stupidest things...

"I...I think you have the wrong person for this..." Virgil admitted. "I'm just an anxious mess... not a courageous hero..."

Eodine walked up to Virgil and gently held his hands that were gripping onto the amulet. She looked into his eyes with mother-like care, and spoke softly.

"Virgil Gray, If you had no fear, then you would have no courage...because courage is choosing to do something you are deathly afraid of, because you know it's the right thing to do..." She looked right into his eyes. "...You are far stronger than you realize..." 

She pulled away. Virgil didn't know what to say to that... he looked down at the amulet.

Stronger than I realize...? huh... I don't know...

He put the amulet on.

Eodine moved toward the center, looking at the four of them. 

"By the power vested in me, I hear by seal these gifts to you."

The four of them glowed for a few seconds, they felt a strange tingling sensation, like electricity was flowing through them.

"There...the powers of old are now yours, which means no other mortals can get them from these gifts. They are bound to each of you, and each of you alone."

Logan looked at her questioningly. 

"How do we use these new powers?"

Eodine's form started to fade slightly. She looked down at herself.

"Unfortunately, I don't seem to have enough time to explain....You will learn more about them as time goes on....Now..." She paused. "what you do after you leave this place is vital to your success. You cannot take on Aldaroth now. He is too powerful and has far too much influence over the world. In order to stand a fighting chance, you must free the lands covered in darkness to weaken him."

"Okay, how do we get rid of the darkness?" Roman asked quickly.

"Go to the dark zones and find my sacred fountains. Aldaroth has stopped them from running, because he knows that water is where most of my power comes from. If you can get them running again, I can use it to increase the range of my protection...but be warned...it's dangerous out there. The darkness is a poison...turning everyone and everything within into hungry, monstrous beasts. It's been so hard to watch them suffer...but I've been using all my powers to keep this chamber safe for you and the surrounding valley safe for the locals..." Her form faded even more. "...I'm running out of time. My power is weakening.... I must go so I can focus on giving you more time. It is all up to you now...my heroes..."

"But, wait... Eodine!" Logan called out.

But it was too late, she was gone.

The four of them stood there, processing what just happened.

Suddenly, they heard the echoing sound of clashing swords and yelling coming from downstairs... They spun around and looked at each other in panic...

 

Shit.


	14. The Escape

The four of them hurried downstairs to find the source of the commotion. 

Emerging from under the Goddess statue, they stood in shock at the scene before them.

There were over a dozen Soulless soldiers, the same spirits they encountered in Edinbourg, fighting for access to the grand altar room

Jess, George, and the other Alliance guards were in the midst of fending them off, but by the time they would cut through one line of evil spirits, more would roll in.

The group of Soulless immediately shifted their attention toward Roman, Patton, Logan and Virgil. Their eye sockets began glowing bright red as they started pushing harder through the defensive line.

Jess looked at the source of what they were after.

"George! They're back!" She called out, fighting off another soldier. 

The captain glanced back, seeing the heroes. Roman had his sword pulled out and was taking a few steps toward the defensive line.

"No! Stay where you are!" The captain demanded. "It's too dangerous!" He used his shield to block the swing of a Soulless's sword. 

"But..." Roman stopped in his tracks, unsure of what to do.

Their attention was caught by the sound of a pained scream.

One of the spirits had shoved its blade into the stomach of a young guard at the end of the line. The man's body turned black around the blade. He choked and sputtered, blood dripping from his mouth. The darkness quickly spread throughout the rest of his body as he fell limply to the ground. The guard next to him cried out in anguish. 

With one less man guarding the line, a Soulless managed to break through the line, heading straight for the unprepared heroes.

"Shit!" Jess looked back. She wanted to help them, but she knew if she left the line, the whole defense would fall apart. She had to make sure no more got through.

The four men stood together near the statue, deathly afraid of after seeing what it just did to the young guard. 

Roman decided to take the lead, standing in front of them. He gripped his sword tightly with two hands, managing to take a few steps toward their opponent before Virgil grabbed his arm.

"Roman...don't...please..." Virgil said softly, fear rising in his eyes. 

"Well I can't stand here and let something happen to all of you..." Roman said, looking back at him. There was a brief hint of fear in his eyes as well... but he quickly covered it up with a confident smile. "What kind of prince would I be if I let that happen?" 

He gave Virgil a wink before facing his opponent once again, making Virgil reluctantly released his arm. 

He felt helpless watching Roman go...

What if he got hurt?

What if he died?

What would happen to them?

No...no no no...

Virgil's breathing picked up speed. Patton took notice and immediately gave Virgil a warm, tight hug, softly speaking to him to bring him back to reality.

Logan looked around the room before eyeing Roman with a hint of concern. He wanted to stop him, but they didn't have any other options. They had to defend themselves... and Roman was the only one with an honest weapon.

The sword-bearing hero strode up to the oncoming spirit.

Let's hope my prop training was accurate... 

Roman muttered to himself, the blade weighing comfortably in his hands.

He stopped a few yards in front of the soldier, standing firm. The spirit also stopped, readying its sword as it glared down Roman with fire red eyes. 

"Cruelest of spirits!" Roman called out dramatically, pointing his sword at his opponent. "Draw thy sword! That, if my speech offend a noble heart, thy arm may do thee justice! Here is mine!" He finished, twirling his sword and posing.

Virgil face palmed, causing Logan and Patton to look over at him, confused.

"He's quoting from the sword fight scene in 'King Lear'....a play we performed last year...." Virgil said, using his hands to cover his face. "God... we're so fucking screwed. I can't watch this..."

The soldier charged at Roman, who dodged quickly to the right and avoided its swing. Out of sheer instinct, Roman hastily sliced low, cutting clean through one of the spirit's boots. It was like slicing a sharp knife through a loaf of bread, taking no effort at all...

"Great Mother Teresa!" Roman exclaimed to the group. "Did you guys see that?"

He had to admit, it was hysterical seeing the evil spirit hopping around awkwardly on one foot. He took the time to step back and laugh at his enemy. They weren't so scary anymore.

"Roman! Pay attention!" Virgil yelled at him.

Roman looked up and quickly dodged out of the way of another swing. The soldier had already somehow regenerated its foot. 

The two clashed swords and dodged attacks, circling each other in a sort of dance. Roman looked way more confident than he did before, laughing as he mocked the soldier before him.

"Hey, Roman!" Logan called out. "Try going for the head!"

Roman nodded, keeping his eyes locked on the soldier.

"Alright, one order of soulless noggin coming right up" 

He stepped closer to the soldier to get him to make a move. The spirit brought down its sword from overhead, allowing Roman to easily dodge to the side. 

A muffled shout could be heard nearby, but he was too focused to listen. This was the perfect opportunity. 

Roman swung his sword horizontally, cutting the helmet and the invisible head off the spirit. 

The soldier dropped its sword and crumpled to the ground. Its red glowing eye sockets faded to black once again and the armor turned into dust.

"Who's the bad bitch now!" Roman cheered as he threw his hands in the air, looking back at his friends for approval. 

However, Logan and Virgil were not jumping for joy... They were frantically jumping in panic as they shouted and pointed behind him. 

Roman's smile immediately fell. 

A loud metal clang rung behind his head, making him flinch.

After realizing he was still alive...He turned around.

"...Patton?"

Before him, stood Patton holding up his new shield, blocking the weight of another soldier's sword. Patton grunted as he shoved the shield forward, knocking the soldier back a few yards, readying his stance once again. 

"Patton! Holy shit!" Roman laughed in disbelief. "You're a badass!" 

"I'm just doing what's right." Patton smiled timidly, slightly out of breath. He looked down at the shield. "Plus this thing is amazing! Might as well put it to good use!" He laughed.

They both looked at the oncoming soldier.

"Indeed! Let's put that thing to good use." Roman stood next to Patton, readying his sword. "Now...You distract him, and I'll go for the head."

Patton nodded, feeling more confident than ever.

He dashed to the right, the Soulless tracking his movements and facing away from Roman. It swung at Patton and he easily blocked it with his shield. Roman snuck up behind the spirit and quickly sliced its head off. 

The soldier fell to the ground, its armor turning to dust.

The two gave each other a high-five in celebration. 

Jess turned to the captain after she cut another spirits head, its armor disintegrating.

"We need their help, George! We can't just sideline our biggest weapons, ya know."

They both watched as more Soulless came through the door, adding to the group in front of them.

George thought for a moment as he sliced through the head of another Soulless. He reluctantly turned back to the two celebrating heroes.

"Roman! Patton! More of them are coming, and we're getting swamped! We need your support, now!" He called out, blocking another sword.

Roman and Patton gave their friends a quick glance before running off to help the Alliance.

Logan watched as the endless waves of spirits kept coming in... this wasn't good. At this rate, they were going to need another way out of here. 

"Virgil...I'm going to be honest. I don't see this having a favorable outcome." He looked around them, studying the walls. "There has to be another way out of here, especially in an ancient temple like this...we need to do something."

Virgil was happy to hear that he could actually be helpful.

He tried looking around, but it was hard to focus with the echoing sounds of loud, clanging metal ringing through his head. 

He tried to keep his anxiety in check, focusing on his immediate surroundings. 

As Virgil neared the Goddess statue, he felt a warm feeling erupt from his chest. He looked down to see the amulet glowing slightly...he gazed into it, feeling kinda strange. The amulet seemed almost...alive. He could have sworn it was trying to tell him something.

His head started pounding, giving him a sense of deja vu to that time by the river. He looked around the room, trying to find out where he felt the throbbing the strongest...

His eyes fell onto one of the golden fish on the statue. He hurried over to it, climbing onto the platform.

"Virgil?" Logan asked, watching him curiously. "Did you find something?"

Virgil didn't respond, afraid he'd lose his focus. He ran his hand along the side of the fish statue, stopping at a scale on its belly that was slightly more raised than the others. 

He pressed it, hearing a click.

The room began to shake as the wall on the other side of the room opened up, revealing a secret passageway.

"Virgil...how did you...?" 

He quickly got off the platform, grabbing Logan's arm and dragging him towards the new door.

"Guys!" Virgil called out, gaining the attention of the others. "This is our way out!"

Without hesitation, everyone fought off their current attacker and booked it toward the exit. Roman and Patton got to the door first, prompting Virgil to start leading down the corridor. Everyone filed in behind them. 

They could hear the soldiers thundering through the door behind them. 

Virgil's heart was beating fast. If this didn't lead to an exit, they'd be dead...and it would be his fault.

He just had to trust that his instincts were correct....

They weaved through various staircases and hallways, which luckily enough for them, were extremely narrow and slowed down he army behind them. 

Eventually, they opened a door that led to the outside. They were on the side of the mountain, looking out at an incredible view of the landscape. 

Virgil sighed with relief, glad that they found an exit. 

However his heart sank when he saw the trail.

The original stone path along the mountain had crumbled away like everything else in the temple, leaving only a narrow ledge to get to the other side. They had no choice but to cross it if they wanted to get out of here. 

Virgil hesitated, he hated heights... 

Roman grabbed his arm.

"I'll go first, and you follow my steps, alright?" He said quietly. "It'll be...like a dance! I'll take the lead."

Roman got onto the ledge, facing the wall and holding onto the jutting out rocks for support. After getting a few feet out, Virgil approached the ledge, stepping where Roman had started before. About halfway across, Virgil's eyes began shifting down, seeing the clouds below them...

"Hey...eyes on me, okay?" Roman said, looking back at him. "You're doing great!"

Virgil did as he was told, keeping his eyes on Roman and following where he stepped.

Roman got across first, with Virgil a few steps away.

"You're almost there!" He called out.

Virgil's anxiety was pumping through the roof. He wanted to get off that ledge as soon as possible, so when was close enough, he jumped to stable ground, running right into Roman, wrapping his arms tightly around him so he wouldn't fall backwards.

Roman quickly caught him and stepped back from the cliffside, making sure they wouldn't fall off.

"Hey, you did it!" Roman laughed encouragingly, enjoying the unusual embrace.

Virgil clung on tightly to the warmth and support, his anxiety slowly decreasing. He felt safe and and secure, like everything was going to be alright in this crazy place...

It was like he was back home, safe in bed. No stress, no wars...

He never wanted to let go...

That is...until he calmed down, realizing that he was t I g h t l y h u g g I n g R o m a n .

"Oh uhh...I- uh" He stuttered, cheeks turning pink as he pulled away. Roman let him go, also feeling slightly embarrassed for holding him.

"..Sorry for falling into you, I was um- you know..." 

"...Yeah uh- totally fine, and I was just making sure you didn't slip..." Roman laughed it off.

"..Right, yeah...haha.." Virgil laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm gonna...scout ahead. You make sure the others cross."

"..yeah, of course. Yell if you need anything." Roman agreed, letting Virgil run off. 

He couldn't help smiling as he watched Virgil go.

Meanwhile, Patton and Logan were the next closest ones on the ledge. 

Patton's heart was racing. He was worried that if he didn't go fast enough, the people trying to cross behind him would be caught and killed. The stress of it was getting to him.

He began crossing so fast that he didn't notice the loose rock underneath him. 

It broke away from the cliff. 

Patton panicked, losing his balance and slipping backwards. He shut his eyes, bracing for impact. But instead of meeting his doom, Patton felt a hand on his lower back, pushing him safely toward the cliff wall again. 

He gripped the rocks fearfully as he met Logan's gaze.

"It's okay...I've got you..." Logan said, looking softly at him. 

His hand was still on Patton's back. He could feel him shaking. 

"Just take deep breaths and slow down...know that I'm right here behind you."

Patton couldn't form words, so he just nodded thankfully, trying to keep his composure. He shuffled carefully the rest of the way, Roman helped him step onto the other side safely.

"...Jesus, that was scary. Are you alright, Patton?" He asked.

Patton just nodded, still speechless.

Logan got to the other side and dusted himself off. Roman turned to him.

"Virgil just went scouting ahead...He'll be back."

Logan nodded before checking on Patton, who was still shaken up.

Roman helped the others across the ledge. Once everyone was safely there, Virgil came hustling back. The group looked at him expectantly as the captain approached him.

"Virgil, what did you find?" He asked.

"Well...there's good news and bad news." Virgil stated. "The good news is that there's a path that leads down to the temple entrance where the carriages are, but the bad news is that there are a shit ton of soldiers down there right now."

The captain pondered the new situation, knowing that they would soon be out of time to make a decision.

"Alright... Everyone, go down that path and get out of sight." He ordered. "The soldiers won't be able to come across this ledge. If we make them believe we've escaped or fallen to our demise, then there's a high chance they'll leave..."

With no protests, everyone hurried down the path, hiding in the bushes and the trees, trying to keep as quiet as possible. 

They made it just in time as they heard heavy clanking footsteps maneuvering through the nearby corridor, becoming louder and louder as they neared the temple exit. The footsteps suddenly stopped, indicating that they made it outside. 

They all held their breath.

After what felt like an eternity, they heard the footsteps going back through the door and down the hallway once more.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

The captain snuck over to the ledge overlooking the temple entrance.

He could see roughly 50 soldiers by the carriages, not counting the ones that were coming out of the temple. He's never seen so many of them in one place before.

As the undead army began to mount their horses, the captain noticed two dead, black bodies on the ground. They were the remains of the guards he posted to watch the carriages...

His heart sank...those poor men never stood a chance.

Aldaroth wasn't joking around this time...

Jess, Roman, Patton, Logan, and Virgil snuck over to the ledge. Roman looked out at the last few soldiers riding off into the forest.

"And would you look at that!" He announced triumphantly. "Those tin cans have no clue. Just look at them! Riding off like the cowards they are."

"Yeah!" Jess agreed. "It was a good call to wait it out, George."

Everyone agreed, praising the captain and high-giving each other, glad to have survived another day.

The captain stood up, motioning for everyone to quiet down.

"I just happened to make a split second decision that worked out..." He said smiled softly. "The real heroes of today...were you four..." 

He gestured to the four men before him. 

"Roman...Patton...you showed excellent bravery defending us today. I know I and many others were proud to fight beside you. Virgil... Logan...if it wasn't for you both, we wouldn't have made it out of the temple alive..."

Logan and Virgil glanced at each other.

"I can see now why Eodine chose you... each of you hold natural talents and strengths that those who train for years can never hope to achieve... I am honored to be in your presence, Heroes of Old."

The Captain kneeled to the four of them with his right arm over his chest. Jess and the other guards followed suit.

"Cheers to the heroes!" Jess called out, thrusting her sword in the air.

"To the heroes!!" The guards cheered.

Everyone began chanting, thrusting their weapons in the air. Roman raised his sword in triumph, throwing an arm around Virgil's shoulder. Patton joined in the side hug by putting an arm around Roman and pulling Logan in on his other side.

The group stood there as the crowd cheered....

The moment feeling so...surreal.

The four men never thought they'd be in a situation like this, where they'd be praised for fending off an army of ghosts in a sacred temple built within a magic mountain.

They were considered just normal people back home.

A logical librarian.

A creative actor.

An anxious stage hand.

and a moral Baker.

At home... no one really knew their names outside of their friends.

And yet here.... they were considered heroes.

 

Perhaps this place isn't so bad after all...


	15. I'll Make a Man Out of You

"Come at me, fool!" Jess exclaimed, brandishing her sword. "Or are thee afraid of dying by my blade?"

"Oh please, I hav'eth no fear!" Roman chanted, twirling his own blade. "Thou'st can't touch this!"

Roman charged at her with his sword and the pair began to duel.

The captain insisted that the four heroes receive battle training in order to explore their new abilities. They didn't have much time to learn, so he gave them a week with their assigned tutors to learn as much as they could before going on their perilous journey into the darkness.

Jess was excited to teach Roman to fight. She had always been considered one of the younger warriors around camp, so getting the chance to train someone was a great opportunity. She's been teaching Roman basic techniques and important tips and tricks that every swords-man and swords-woman should know. 

She wished she had more time to get into the nitty, gritty details, but George gave them a week, so she had to do her best. The safe zone was getting smaller by the day, and they had to move fast. 

Today was their last session, and Jess decided that a final duel would be the perfect test to see what he learned.

She took a more defensive role at first, analyzing and predicting Roman's attacks.

He took some quick swipes, each swing blocked by her sword. Roman kept advancing, pushing her back.

When he got close to backing her into a tree, she stuck her sword out against his and twirled it around so he couldn't hit her while she dodged out next to him.

"Gonna to have to do more than that to break my defense, my friend." Jess teased, putting some distance between them.

After working with Roman so much this week, she felt she could read his moves like an open book. She couldn't help laughing, it was almost unfair.

Roman shrugged and smiled innocently, readying his stance once again.

The two collided once more, Roman laying down more attacks and Jess continuing to defend.

"You know..." Roman started to say, still swinging at her. "This week, you may have learned all of my moves, but you forgot one thing..."

Roman quickly swung low, getting her to block. He pushed his blade against the side of hers swiftly, jerking it out to the side, which giving him enough time to step in and bring his sword to her throat. 

"...I've been able to learn some of yours." Roman said smugly, smiling to himself. He had grabbed her sword arm with his other hand, knowing she would probably try a counter attack.

"Alright alright. That was pretty good, I'll admit it." She surrendered reluctantly, with Roman looking more proud than she thought he should.

"But Roman, Roman, Roman...what have I always told you?"

He looked at her, confused, thinking back to their lessons that week.

"You can't break your enemy's defense without breaking your own." 

She brought her foot up and kicked Roman hard in the stomach.

He tumbled backwards, the wind was knocked out of him. He still managed to stay on his feet, sword in hand.

Jess charged at him. He quickly gained his composure and blocked her incoming attacks.

"You have to keep fighting..."

Jess said, continuously swinging against Roman's weak blocks. 

"Even when you're tired..."

Roman tried to catch his breath.

"Even when you're hurt..."

He backed up with each swing.

"Even when you're ready to die..."

Roman kept backing up off the training grounds and into the woods, weakly throwing his sword up.

"You have to keep fighting...Because there are people who are counting on you."

Roman thought about his friends. 

Virgil...Patton...Even Logan.

He brought them into this. He may not have brought them here to Molidia, but he did drag them through the forest and encouraged them to stay.

He thought of the times he almost got them killed...

What if something did happen to them?

What if something happened to...

His mind instinctively went to Virgil. 

He couldn't help it. 

Virgil, the stubborn stagehand he'd become so close to these last couple years. 

Virgil, the man who desperately tried to hide his anxious, brown eyes from the world with his bangs. 

Virgil, the man who always came to his dressing room to bug him right before shows, pretending he wasn't about to have a panic attack.

Virgil, the man he kept from falling near the edge of the river, all wrapped up in his hoodie, so afraid.

Virgil, the man he carried up the stairs when he was too exhausted to go on anymore.

Virgil, the man who gripped his arm with all his might, just to keep him from fighting the soulless soldier on his own.

Virgil, his best friend.

Roman knew it would never go past that. Virgil never liked him that way. They were friends, and that was it.

But he'll be damned if anything ever happened to him.

He would die before that happened.

Roman suddenly felt a surge of energy coming from the sword. He could have sworn he saw some sort of red spark coming off the blade. 

The energy ran into his hand, up his arm, and through his entire body, fueling him. His fatigue slowly started to wear off.

Suddenly, he could breathe freely again...

His muscles were completely reenergized...

He felt like a new man! A fresh soldier ready to battle.

He had never experienced anything like this before, but he was not complaining one bit. This magic stuff was incredible!

He held up his sword and blocked one of Jess's attacks, more firmly this time.

She smiled, happy to see he wasn't ready to give up just yet.

They began dueling properly, both switching between offense and defense this time.

They were laughing and having fun with it, moving through the forest and using the trees as obstacles between them. They both ended up in a position with their blades against each other, each trying to win advantage. Eventually, they both put so much pressure into it, that they both lost control and pushed themselves over, rolling down the slope.

They fell to the bottom of the hill and began laughing at their ridiculousness.

"I think it's safe to say we're at a tie..." Jess laughed, still laying on the forest floor.

"I think you're right." Roman agreed, also laying on his back, smiling like an idiot thinking about Virgil. He looked over at Jess, "Truce?"

She looked over at him and nodded.

"Truce."

Jess got up and gave Roman a hand, bringing him to his feet.

A collection of noises suddenly drew their attention. 

The pair looked up at the top of the small hill to see what the commotion was.

They watched as Patton quickly ran across the top of the hill, holding his shield behind him to block the many rocks being pelted at him by an army of small children.

Roman and Jess just stood there in awe as they watched the active chase continue, eventually disappearing around some foliage.

"Well, glad to see Patton's training is going well!" Roman said with a satisfied nod.

Jess laughed.

"Poor Patton, haha. I swear, Armon is having too much fun with this whole training thing."

"You're probably right...But I know Patton, he can handle a few kids." Roman said confidently. "I wonder if the others are doing just as well as we are?"

 

 

****

 

 

"Are you sure I can even do this?" Virgil asked. "It hasn't worked the past 20 times we've tried it...how's this any different?"

Virgil sat cross-legged in the Mystic's tent on a woven mat. The whole place smelt of smoke and lavender. 

Sitting in front of him, draped in a colorful robe, was the camp mystic, Orla. She was a tilo, an antelope-like creature native to the Eastern Hills, known for their intelligence and spiritual connections. Orla was the only tilo lucky enough make it to the safe zone, so she's been a strong advocate for the Alliance, giving her aid to those in need in hopes of eventually saving her people. She had a long, soft face, bright eyes, and dark antlers adorned with various beads and jewels.

"It will only work... if you believe it to work, Virgil." The mystic said softly. Her voice slow and smooth as silk. "Now... let yourself find your center...don't hold back."

Virgil reluctantly closed his eyes and straightened his back, letting his hands rest on his knees with his palms facing up.

Over the past week, Orla has been helping Virgil learn about the amulet and the power it gives him. 

He's found that sometimes it will give him answers to questions he wouldn't have known otherwise, or lead him to an object or person that could be a solution to a problem. However, it doesn't always work when he wants it to.

Orla said that magical objects have emotional connections like other species, so it's likely that the amulet will only help him if 'feels like it'. 

Of course that proved to be frustrating for Virgil.

Orla insisted that meditation would help him connect with the amulet and perhaps get it to reveal more of its capabilities, but after trying and failing to do so multiple times, Virgil had lost all hope.

"Start by taking in a deep breath..." The mystic directed. "Feel it travel down and into your chest..."

Virgil breathed in through his nose..rolling his eyes behind his eyelids.

"Slowly... release your breath..." she continued, eyeing Virgil skeptically. "Remember to focus..."

Virgil breathed out, not focusing in the slightest.

This is stupid

Come on, this is important.

So what?

Everyone else has been getting stronger. What do you have to show for this week? Nothing.

That's BS, I've learned shit..

Yeah, but it's not enough, is it? Can you protect yourself?

Well...no...

Then stop bullshitting and let Orla help you.

Sure, yeah, I'll just meditate and suddenly begin to shoot fire balls from my hands like some fuckin wizard. As if THAT's ever going to happen?... I couldn't do it yesterday or the day before, so what difference does it make??

You won't know until you ACTUALLY TRY to do it for real, dumbass.

"Virgil..." Orla said sternly, her voice reminding Virgil of his old history teacher back in high school.

He opened his eyes, regretfully making eye contact with the mystic that clearly disapproved of his actions.

"...you must let your conflict go if you are to travel deeper into your mind..." She said, looking down at him. "Do not let your doubts block your path."

Virgil thought about asking Orla if she was reading his mind...He was pretty sure she was...but decided against having that conversation. He figured it was best to humor her and continue with the meditation.

He closed his eyes again.

Maybe just one more try...

This was their last session before they travel to the outskirts of the safe zone and into the darkness...so, it was now or never.

He breathed in and out slowly like before, except his time he only focused on the sound of Orla's breathing and nothing else.

"Good...now, bring your attention to your chest...focus on the energy you feel as you breathe...Fuel it...Bring it to the surface...let it engulf you..."

Virgil could feel a small warmth swirling within his chest. 

He followed her directions and imagined the internal fire becoming bigger and bigger, until his whole chest felt burning hot with energy.

Virgil grimaced at the intense fiery feeling, causing his breathing to waver.

"Do not be afraid, Virgil...it will not harm you..." Orla reassured. "Stay focused...you're doing well..."

Virgil thought about the hot, searing pain, but as he continued to feel the energy within him, he realized that she was right. It wasn't painful at all, just strange. 

He had been expecting it to hurt...like how sometimes you accidentally hit your arm on something, and you instinctively say 'ow', even when you felt no pain at all. 

He was just ready to reject the energy immediately, not giving it a chance... 

So maybe if he put in more effort, the amulet would be more open to working with him today.

Feeling slightly hopeful, Virgil took a deep breath, reestablishing his breathing pattern.

"Yes, Virgil...now, I want you to dig deep. Search deep within yourself to try and bring that internal energy out...let the energy travel through your body and become one with it."

Virgil didn't know how the hell he was going to do that. He could barely keep the energy here, let alone get it to go anywhere else.

He hadn't actually gotten this far before...he didn't really know what to do.

One thing was for sure, though.

He couldn't give up now.

 

Virgil kept his attention on the burning sensation, trying to think of a way to get the energy to move...

He dug deep and thought about the traits and properties of the energy, seeing if that would help.

Where did it come from...?

What was it made of...?

What could it do...?

How did it move...?

Suddenly, a picture formed in his mind. A glowing purple ball of light. It wasn't fire...it was electricity.

Alright, we're getting somewhere.

As Virgil observed the strange light before him, he began to unconsciously move towards it...It grew bigger and hotter, like the feeling in his chest, and he began to unknowingly fall deeper and deeper into a meditative state. 

So deep, he slipped away from the surface world... 

Orla was no longer there...

The woven mat was no longer there...

The smell of lavender was no longer there... 

He found himself standing in a dark forest grove. The light of the full moon trickled through the tree tops. He looked around himself, the world was fuzzy, out of focus... almost dreamlike.

Where the hell am I?

He looked around the dark forest, something bright and shiny caught his eye... He continued to focus on it, eventually making out a small figure in the distance... 

It was a young girl...one with short, silver-white hair and a pale complexion...hiding behind a tree. 

He tried to walk towards her, but he couldn't move.

"Um..Hello? Who are you?" Virgil called out. "What is this place?"

His voice echoed weirdly here...

The silver-haired girl came out of her hiding spot and began slowly walking towards him. As she got closer her face came into focus. She had wide eyes and a curious expression.

Virgil suddenly felt very anxious.

He couldn't move or run...

What if she was dangerous?

It was like sleep paralysis all over again...

....and she was coming closer.

"W-what do you want...?" He stuttered.

The young girl walked up to him until their faces were just inches apart. She stayed silent as she observed him. He couldn't help but focus on her face since she was so close.

He saw that her eyes were pale blue and clouded over. He wasn't sure if she could really see through them, and yet, by the way she was gazing blankly through him, it was as if she could see him in a way no one else could.

The girl looked at the amulet on Virgil's chest and looked back up at him, smiling with a childish grin.

With a flick of her wrist, a purple ball of electric light appeared in her hand and she began reaching toward him. 

"Wait...W-What are you--"

As soon as she touched him, everything went white and he felt a surge of energy flow through him.

Virgil quickly opened his eyes, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. He looked at his surroundings. 

He was back in the Mystic's tent.

He looked in front of him, where Orla was still sitting, curiously observing him. 

Although, something was different this time.

The mystic's face was illuminated by a strange purple glow. 

The sunlight can't turn purple, can it...?

Confused, Virgil looked around to find the source, only to look down and realize the source was himself. 

"WHAT?"

In his hands, he held two purple spheres of light, the same electric energy the girl had. He freaked out, moving his hands away from him.

In doing so, one the balls of light shot away from his hand and burned a sizable hole through the side of the tent. He heard someone outside yelp in surprise.

He quickly closed both his hands, extinguishing the other light and holding them close to his body.

"Where the hell did you send me?? What was that place?!" Virgil asked accusingly. "What just happened to me??"

Orla simply smiled at him, fairly pleased.

"That place you saw, that girl...that is your connection to the spirit world, Virgil." The mystic said proudly.

 

"You have found your center."

 

 

***

 

 

Armon stood to Pattons left, a small blue flag in hand.

"On your mark..." 

He announced, raising the flag above his head. 

"Get set..." 

Armon the dark elf, has been training Patton in agility and defensive maneuvers, learning to be quick on his feet and ready for any situation. Patton knows how to use his shield for basic combat now. He had also been trying to learn how to ricochet the shield off of other surfaces, but he can never seem to get it quite right. Almost took off Armon's head once...so they decided to set that skill aside.

Today, since it's the end of the week, they are focusing on the obstacle course. Armon wants to see how much Patton has improved in the time they've been working together.

"Go!" He ordered, his arm moving down quickly and the flag fluttering in the breeze.

"Ah!" Patton yelped as he started running, firmly holding his shield in defense as a group of children to his right began pelting rocks at him.

He leapt over hurdles and weaved through trees, doing his best to avoid the kids' aim. 

"Get him!" Armon laughed, calling after them. "No mercy!"

Patton glanced back at him.

"Wow, thanks Armon!" He called back. "You really got my back out here!"

He ran up to a set of heavy sand bags hanging from the branches. Just as he was used to before, he used his shield to bash through each bag, quickly gaining his speed back to avoid the kids barreling towards him. 

"Can't catch me this time, kiddos!" Patton called out to them through quick breaths. 

He trekked through the forest and came upon the rocky incline part of the course, but before he could start it, one of the older kids, known as Eddie, cut through the trees and stood in front him, cutting him off from the course. The boy smiled cheekily as he gripped the large rock in his hand.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Patton laughed, squinting his eyes at him in a challenging way. "Two can play at this game." 

Patton quickly dodged to the left, leaving the obstacle course and heading towards camp instead. The kid picked up a few more rocks before running after him. 

Reaching the Alliance camp, Patton swiftly jumped over the fire pit and ran past the dining tent, causing one of the cooks to drop a basket of fruit. She gave him a resentful glare.

"I'm so sorry!" Patton said guiltily, slowing to a stop. He was debating whether he should risk staying to help her with the mess or not, but Armon said this was a test... he had to pretend these kids were the enemy. So, when he saw them running around the corner, Patton quickly turned back around. 

"Uhhh gotta go! Sorry!" 

The girl followed his gaze and noticed the excitable children running into camp. She watched as they chased Patton down the path, laughing and giggling the whole way. Her expression softened at seeing how much fun they were having.

Patton ran past others as he darted through camp, continuously apologizing as he went.

"Sorry!....'Scuse me!...Just need to run by!....Hey nice to see you!...Oh dear!...Coming through!"

Patton was almost to the other side of camp. If he just cut through the back edge and into the forest, he could make it to the finish line. 

He darted past the sleeping quarters and came upon the red mystic's tent. As he was running past the tent, a purple light shot through the fabric coming straight toward him. 

"Woah!" Patton yelled, jumping just in time to avoid the light shooting beneath him. It soared across the camp and burned into a nearby tree trunk, making it smoke, but not catch flame.

Patton continued running, looking back at the smoking tree.

"What the heck was that?" He mumbled to himself, still running.

An innocent bystander walked into his trajectory, not noticing a distracted Patton barreling towards them. 

"Huh? aH-"

They hit in the ground with a thud.

Patton looked down to see who was now underneath him.

To his surprise, it was Logan! Their faces only inches apart.

"Hey Logan!" Patton said excitedly at first.

He noticed Logan grimace in pain, rubbing the back of his head, making his smile quickly fade.

"Oh god...are you okay?"

Logan opened his eyes, finally realizing it was Patton who ran into him. 

"...Patton? I'm...alright I think. I--" 

He suddenly realized the situation...and that Patton was especially close right now...

His face started turning pink. 

He shook himself to keep focus and not blank out.

"Wait..why are you running?" He asked, a hint of concern in his voice. "Are you in some sort of trouble?" 

Patton shrugged with a giggle. 

"I guess you could say that."

"What does--" He was cut off by Patton shushing him, putting a finger to his lips.

Logan looked at him confused, almost slightly offended at being shushed, but he chose to comply and attempt to hear whatever Patton was listening for.

The only thing they heard was the sound of children's laughter coming closer.

"Man they are persistent!" Patton laughed. "Armon is good at picking his soldiers."

Patton quickly got off of Logan, standing up. He reached down and pulled Logan to his feet.

"I should get out of here, but...are you sure you're okay?" Patton asked, genuine care in his voice.

"I'm fine Patton, really, it's alright, I-- what on Earth?"

Armon's army came around, armed and dangerous, chanting that they found Patton. 

They began pelting rocks in their direction. 

Too confused to run, Logan braced himself for impact . Patton quickly acted and jumped in front of Logan, holding up his shield to blocking the incoming projectiles. The two of them squatted down to get protected coverage of their legs as well, Logan grabbed a nearby basket lid to cover over top of their heads. 

"Hey kiddos! Don't go hitting other people with rocks, okay?" Patton scolded loud enough for them to hear. "You gotta be careful around camp." 

The two waited behind the shield as the kids kept throwing rocks and debating who had the most hits so far.

"Haha, oh kids..." Patton laughed, looking back at Logan. "...Where do they get so many rocks?"

"Why are they throwing rocks at you at all?" Logan asked, still holding the basket lid above them.

"Training of course!" Patton exclaimed proudly. "It's this obstacle course thing, my final run through. Although it usually doesn't run through camp..."

Eventually the pelting stopped, Patton and Logan peaked out of cover, noticing the children reloading their pockets.

"I think this is my chance to escape..." Patton whispered. 

"Seems to be." Logan muttered. "and well... good luck on the rest of your test." 

"Aw, thanks!" Patton replied gratefully. "I know yours is later today, I want to hear how it goes! Tell me at dinner tonight?"

Logan smiled. "I'd be glad to."

"Great!" Patton beamed. 

He got up and began jogging towards the trees.

"See you at dinner tonight!" Patton waved. "And... sorry again for running into you!"

He turned around and disappeared into the trees. The children chased after him, their hands and pockets full of new rocks.

Logan stood and watched them disappear into the forest. 

He glanced down at the basket lid he was holding, shaking his head and laughing at how ridiculous what just happened was. It was silly, but he...kind of had fun.

He looked back to the forest, a small smile forming on his lips.

Back in the woods once again, Patton bolted toward the end of the course. He was trying not to get distracted by the image of Logan's face so close to his, but he couldn't help it. He was giddy as hell just thinking about it. He couldn't wait to tell Angela about everything...if he gets to see her again that is...

Well, if he wanted to see her again, he had to do well on this test and save the world...

So that's exactly what he was going to do!

He could see the finish line before him. Armon stood there with his arms crossed, quite amused at the scene before him. Patton ran with all his might, keeping his head low to avoid getting a potential concussion.

He finally crossed the finish line, throwing his hands up in the air in celebration and he caught his breath.

The kids came tumbling through also out of breath. Armon began applauding.

"Well done!" the dark elf praised. "You've managed to carve your own path, even when I rigged the course." 

Patton looked up.

"Wait...so you told Eddie to cut me off??" Patton asked, bewildered.

"I may have..." Armon shrugged innocently. "but you handled it well! And you protected others without hesitation! You've passed the test in my book!"

"Heck, I'll take it!" He cheered, skipping over to the group of kids. "Nice job, everybody! High fives all around!"

Most the kids excitedly returned his high fives. The exception being one of the smallest girls in the group. She silently reached for him instead, asking to be picked up.

Patton gladly lifted her up onto his shoulders and spun around. She giggled and held her arms out pretending she was a bird.

"Alright!" Patton announced. "Who wants strawberry tarts to celebrate? My treat!"

The children cheered in response, excitedly racing each other to camp. 

Armon and Patton walked behind the group, chatting and laughing about the kids' high energies.

What a day

Patton thought to himself.

He hoped the others were having just as much fun as he was.

 

 

***

 

 

"Greetings, Orla."

Logan walked through the entrance to the mystic's tent. 

"Welcome back, Logan." Orla greeted back, gesturing for him to sit down on the mat.

Orla and Logan had been working on his telekinesis ability all week. Luckily, he was a quick learner. He managed to lift various objects and move them around within the first 3 days of training. 

He still didn't have full control yet, and couldn't move objects too quickly or he'd lose grip, but it was better than nothing. 

She also taught him simple arts of telepathy. Since she was a tilo, she had a natural barrier to mind reading, so she would ask volunteers to come during their sessions, so Logan would have subjects to practice on. 

Turns out, Logan has quite a lot of mental control. He was able to quickly pick up the ability to read surface information. Various numbers, people's names, food cravings, addresses, etc. Orla said one day he would have the ability to see into past memories, and manipulate other people's minds, but she didn't have enough time to teach him all of it.

Today was their last session. Logan had no idea what she had in store for his last test.

He politely sat down on the mat with his hands resting in his lap.

"How are you feeling today, Logan?" She asked with a smile.

Logan was kind of taken aback by the question.

"How am I feeling?" He asked. "Fine, I suppose."

Orla pointed to her heart.

"Yes, but how are you feeling?" She asked again.

Logan laughed.

"Oh, I don't feel anything." He said matter of factly. "Roman says I'm practically a robot at this point."

"You know I can interpret your thoughts, Logan...I can sense a lie when I read one." She said softly. "Although, this is not a lie to me...but to yourself."

Logan shook his head. He was used to answering accusations like this.

"But it's not a lie." He began to explain. "I've been like this my whole life, ever since I was a child. I've always thought practically growing up... never emotionally. It was a waste of time then, and it's a waste of time now....in fact, if I had been 'emotional' in some of the situations we've been thrown into here in Molidia, then the four of us would likely be dead by now. No thanks to Roman's ever-replenishing...'passion'."

Orla looked at him with soft, caring eyes.

"You are so close, and yet so far..." She looked at him curiously. "Your mind is fighting to keep things from you and even me....a protective barrier....protecting you from a dark past...I sensed it earlier this week, but I wasn't sure what trigger would bring it forth. It seems your emotions were the key. They've been building up for a long, long time...far too long for any normal person to bear."

Logan wasn't sure how to respond...

"But you are not a 'normal' person, are you Logan? You are special. One chosen out of countless individuals that exist in this universe to be here in my very tent at this particular moment in time. Isn't that something special?"

"Special isn't the word I would use." Logan said bitterly.

"What word would you use to describe it, then?" 

"Unlucky, damned, cursed...the synonyms go on."

"And what is it about this place that makes you feel 'cursed'?"

"Well, it seems obvious, but no one else seems to get it around here. This world is extremely dangerous. It is literally falling apart as we speak. Even you must agree with that, right?" 

Orla nodded. 

"And the four of us were innocently minding our own business, when we were kidnapped from our home and dropped into this place, being told we have to fulfill a 'prophecy'. I used to think it wasn't real, but even now that I know it's real, I still just can't let it slide. Because now I know that this prophecy is the only reason why the three people I care about most are in danger. They didn't do anything to deserve people coming after them. It's only what they represent. The titles that Eodine gave them. It just isn't fair. If your world is ending, it should be your problem, not ours. The four of us could be safe at home right now, but instead we're training to risk our necks for a world we don't even live in. That...sounds like a curse to me."

Logan finished his rant, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders.

Orla had listened patiently through it all.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" She finally asked.

"Huh?" Logan questioned.

"To let out your emotions...it feels good, doesn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You are far more passionate than you give yourself credit for, Logan." Orla said softly. "If you could listen to yourself, you would see what I see. A cautious protector...a caring friend...a stubborn leader...and a tempered soul....you are so full of emotions. So full of life. And yet, you hold yourself back...why is that?"

"Why? I-I don't know! You're the person who understand mentality and feelings." Logan said defensively, avoiding eye contact.

"I know it can be scary, Logan...no one ever wants to willingly show vulnerable emotions, to show that they need someone's help. Some fear it a sign of weakness, as a flaw, or a defect....but that is simply not true."

Logan glanced up at her.

"It is a sign that you are an individual...that you are a functional human being. Your friends all show emotions correct?"

Logan nodded.

"And you said you cared about them, right?"

Logan hesitated before nodding again.

"Think about the reasons why you care about them..."

He thought for a moment.

As much as Roman's impulsive tendencies and reckless behavior drove him nuts, Logan did appreciate his bravery and hard working attitude. Ever since they were young, Roman always had a certain passion for anything he put his mind to.

Virgil may be unrealistic most of the time with how cautious and anxious he was, but Logan appreciated his incredible attention to detail and keen observations. Plus, he's always greatly enjoyed having a friend to talk to when social events became too much for the both of them.

As for Patton, well...he's a little too much of....everything, but weirdly enough, that exact reason was why Logan appreciated having him around. Patton's ever-lasting positive attitude and genuine emotions were something Logan never knew he needed in his life until he met him.

Orla continued.

"Now, imagine if they showed no emotions, no happiness, no passion, no fear, nothing whatsoever. What traits would they lose? What would be missing? Would you still care about them so much if they lacked those traits?"

Logan hated the thought. Roman without his passion, Patton without his bubbly energy, even Virgil would be a completely different person without his anxiety.

"They would...lose themselves." Logan admitted. "Everything that makes them...them."

"Yes, because our personalities are based on emotions. They are what make us unique." Orla stated proudly. "It is the reason why your friends care about you and your personality. Your feelings are what make you the protective, intelligent, practical, companion you are, and you should be proud of that."

Logan stayed silent, not sure what to say.

It was a lot to think about, but it all made sense...

His friends wouldn't stick with him if he was emotionless with no personality...so maybe that means it's true after all.

But what does this mean for him?

He's held back everything for so long...he wasn't sure even how to express different emotions. 

"I know it's a lot for you, Logan. Emotions can be blessings and curses just like the prophecy, it all just depends on how you look at it. I don't expect you to open up to me, of course. I am still a new person in your life, after all." Orla reassured him. "But, I do want you to think about releasing those built up feelings. Maybe you could start by opening up more to one of your friends? I think you'll find that you'll feel a lot better if you do."

Logan nodded, his mind preoccupied.

"I'll try."

Orla smiled and brought her hands together.

"Perfect, that's all I could ask from you, Logan...and your session is complete now, so you are free to leave when you would like."

Logan looked up at her.

"Free to leave?" He asked. "Wasn't I supposed to have a final test of some sorts, like all the others? telepathically Move baskets? Read minds?"

"You are a gifted telepath, Logan. You've mastered basic skills far quicker than any pupil I've had in my 300 years of teaching. Any test I would have given you would have been meaningless. The real key to success for mystics like you and I, is to be true to ourselves and our inner being. Today's conversation showed me that you're making excellent progress..."

"Hm." Logan hummed, kind of surprised. 

The two of them stood up from their mats.

"If you would like to continue our conversation about emotions, I'll be down by the stream, picking mulroots before it gets dark." Orla offered, bowing her head slightly.

"Actually, I would love to accompany you. I still have a lot of pressing questions about this whole...thing."

"Of course." Orla replied happily. 

"Great, so one thing that I could never figure out was why entertainment such as theatrical performances and fictional books could make people so 'emotional'. I mean, anyone with a brain could tell it's not real--"

Logan held the tent entrance open for Orla and they left together, conversing about strange emotions and why people feel the way they do. 

Even Logan himself had to admit...

 

He had a lot to learn.


	16. Number One Fan

The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the camp. Patton, Roman, and Virgil were already done with their training. 

They were waiting for Logan to get back, so to pass the time, they each discussed what happened to them that day. Niko, the furry red lemur, joined in, hopping onto Patton's shoulder and moving comfortably into his lap, listening intently as Virgil recounted his last session. 

"...Then there was a white-haired girl in the shadows, as pale a ghost. I tried talking to her, but she wouldn't answer. She started coming toward me...and I was fucking terrified...no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move or anything...It was like a sleep paralysis nightmare. When she reached me, she produced a ball of light in her hand, as if that's completely normal...and before I could react, she touched my chest. It burned for like a second and everything went white. Sure enough I wake up back in Orla's tent...the same light emanating from my hands."

"Well damn, Electro. That sounded like it came straight out of a comic book." Roman quipped.

"Yeah...well...I don't think Marvel or DC would take me in after what I did." He admitted. "I kinda freaked out when I saw my hands were basically on fire...so I sorta... shot an electric ball through the side of the tent..."

Patton's face lit up.

"Oh my gosh! Virgil! That was you?"

"Wait... You saw it happen??"

"Yeah! I was running by the tent and a purple light shot out right under me!" Patton laughed, pointing to a tree across camp. "It ended up burning a hole in that tree!"

"Ohhhhh" Roman thought aloud. "So that's what happened to that tree!"

"Holy shit, I'm sorry, Pat...I thought I heard someone outside, but I had no idea it was you."

"Aw don't be sorry!" Patton reassured him. "I mean how many chances do I get to see cool magic like that?"

"Oh man, now I'm curious." Roman clasped his hands together, looking to Virgil. "Could you demonstrate?"

He hesitated.

"Oh, uh...I- I don't know."

"Oh come on now. You've done it before, I'm sure you can do it now." Roman said dismissively. "How about it?"

"Don't feel pressured, Virgil." Patton assured him. "Remember that you don't have to do anything if you don't want to."

Well shit, now he had something to prove.

Roman sure knew how to get into his head.

"Alright... I'll do it."

Roman clapped happily at the news, leaning in attentively to watch.

Virgil laid his hands on his knees and closed his eyes, trying to repeat his usual meditation process with Orla. He slowed down his breathing and focused on his inner self, attempting to shut out the world around him.

Unfortunately, that was proving to be a bit difficult. He wasn't used to having an audience like this...He could almost feel their eyes staring through him. 

What if he couldn't do it?

He would have gotten their hopes up for nothing...

He could hear Orla's voice in the back of his mind, telling him to relax. She wouldn't let him use such a minor excuse for not performing.

He tried to focus on his sessions with her, placing himself in her tent. He immediately felt more relaxed when he was in a familiar setting. He was able to focus, and eventually started feeling the energy surge like it did before. However, this time, the energy wasn't just in his chest...it was emanating through the rest of his body. 

He focused on the energy and attempted to concentrate it into his hands and bring it to the surface. 

Sure enough, he started feeling static stings on his fingers.

Wait, Is this actually working??

In his excitement, Virgil opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. He was able to catch a quick glimpse of purple sparks before they faded away with his concentration. 

Niko jumped behind Patton at the sight of the sparks, peering curiously over his shoulder. 

"Damn it..." Virgil heaved out a frustrated sigh, his head throbbing a bit after all the effort. "I lost it. I swear it worked better before."

"That was still extraordinary!" Roman assured him.

"Yeah Virgil! Are you kidding?" Patton applauded. "That was awesome!"

Virgil shook his head dismissively, waving off their comments.

"I'm serious!" Patton insisted. "Just think! Over a week ago, we were normal people that didn't even know magic existed! But now look at us! We're in a fantasy world with magical creatures. And you can shoot sparks out of your hands! You're a freakin wizard, Virgil!"

"I guess maybe you're right Pat..." Virgil laughed. "but, enough about me, how was your training?"

"Oh boy!" Patton began. "Well it wasn't as magical and introspective as your training, but I know Armon sure had a laugh! He sent those little assassins to run me off course and right into camp! I had to dodge actual people this time."

"Haha yes!" Roman laughed. "Jess and I saw you run past us during training. There is something just so satisfying about seeing a grown man being chased by an army of small children." 

"I'm sure it was a funny sight." Patton chuckled. "I've really grown fond of those kids, you know? I know these are tough times for them, So seeing them have fun really makes my day...I wish I could say the same for a couple others though..."

"What do you mean?" Virgil tilted his head.

"Well... I accidentally startled a cook when I ran into camp, making her drop ingredients all over the ground! And I couldn't even stay back to pick them up! Then later I was so distracted by the chase that I literally ran straight into Logan..." He cringed at the memory. "Gosh, I'm such a klutz...Logan probably hates me for that."

While Patton was distracted, Roman gave Virgil a knowing look, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Virgil knew exactly what he was thinking and held back a laugh so Patton wouldn't get suspicious.

"Something tells me he didn't mind so much, Padre...If you catch what I'm throwing." Roman began slyly, winking at Virgil. "In fact--"

"How about we talk about something else?" Virgil interjected, eyeing Roman as he mouthed for him to Shut-The-Fuck- Up. 

Roman surrendered, smiling his usual smug grin. He knew one of these days he was going to say it.

Patton looked between them, confused about what was going on. His attention was pulled away when saw Logan coming back, followed by a young man they've never seen before.

Roman and Virgil followed his gaze.

"Well, speak of the devil!" Roman greeted, catching Logan's attention. 

"Greetings Patton, Virgil and....Roman." Logan addressed the group, his friendly demeanor faltering as he eyed his smug friend. "While we were outside of camp, Orla and I ran into this young man. He's a part of the Alliance, but it also turns out that he's someone you might recognize."

The three of them looked at the black-haired boy next to Logan, who couldn't have been older than 16. 

He wore a hand-me-down long, brown trench coat with hand-stitched pockets, carrying a small backpack of supplies and a brown satchel overflowing with various roots, ferns and flowers. 

While his rustic outfit intrigued them, their eyes were immediately drawn to the young man's belt. Holstered in it were nearly two dozen oddly shaped vials, each filled with strangely colored liquids that seemed to move and change color.

"Uh hi." The boy waved, feeling slightly awkward. "My name's Theo."

Patton gasped.

"Wait, Theo?? Like... Rosie's Theo?!"

"The one and only." He shrugged with a small smile.

"Oh wow!" Patton jumped up to shake his hand, slightly startling the young man. "It's great to finally meet you! You know, I absolutely adore your mother."

He laughed, amused at Patton's sudden enthusiasm. Logan put a hand on his shoulder.

"That is Patton...if you can't tell." Logan explained. "And this here is Virgil...and that is Roman."

Virgil gave a short wave of acknowledgement as Roman shook Theo's hand.

The boy honestly couldn't believe that he was meeting the heroes of legend right now. He grew up hearing stories about them and their anticipated arrival, but never thought he'd live to see them. They were like myths come to life... 

Now he's shaking their hands and they are literally speaking with him right now!

"The heroes of Love, Courage, and Power...Wow...you guys don't know how much of an honor it is to meet you!" Theo smiled, holding back his excitement. "Logan told me about your story on the way over! God I have so many questions...How does it feel to be on a whole different world?" 

"Oh where do I even start?" Roman said excitedly. "This journey has been magical, fantastic, extraordinary, marvelous, enchanting...oh the list goes on. This place is incredible."

"Uh, yeah...I could probably write an entire novel counteracting his list." Virgil muttered. "But I'm just going to go with... 'fucking insane'" He nodded to himself. "Yeah, that about covers it."

"Oh, come now, Virgil." Roman addressed him, with his hands on his hips. "You're telling me you haven't had ANY fun while being away from Earth?"

"I think I can most certainly say that." Virgil retorted. "I already worry about situations that DON'T involve death...now that we're here, I worry about those and ALSO ones that involve death. There's literally hundreds of more things to worry about here."

Logan nodded to Roman, agreeing with Virgil's point.

"See? Logan gets it."

Patton decided to bring the conversation back around, addressing Theo.

"I think what we're trying to say is that...While coming to Molidia has been a bit of a difficult transition for us...we've been doing our best to make the most of it! It's a beautiful place and we aren't going to stop until we save it, right guys?"

They all voiced answers of agreement, even if Virgil's wasn't entirely genuine.

"It is kind of a crazy situation isn't it?" Theo admitted. "Well, I want you all to know that we really appreciate what you're doing...our home means everything to us, as I'm sure yours does too. I'd love to hear more about where you came from! By the sound of it, Earth seems like an extraordinary place! Logan told me you don't even have magic. How do you manage to do anything?"

"Lots of hard work, my young friend." Roman responded. "Although half the times it doesn't even get recognized."

"And technology is pretty helpful too." Virgil added, thinking back to his laptop and headphones. 

God he missed them...

"Huh...technology?" Theo pondered the word. "What is it? What kind of things can it do?"

"Uhh, well..." Virgil thought for a moment. "It's kinda like...Earth magic, I guess?" He looked to others and shrugged. "But...with more science and man-made stuff." 

"Ohhh, so it's...'man-made' magic?" 

The four looked at each other with satisfied nods.

"That's probably the best way to put it for now." Logan agreed.

"Interesting....Man...I really wish you all weren't leaving tomorrow. I want to learn more about Earth."

"I wish we didn't have to leave either..." Virgil muttered.

"Promise me you'll come back when this all blows over?" Theo looked between them expectantly. "You can teach me more about your home world!"

"Sure thing, kiddo!" Patton said gleefully. "We got tons of fun stories to share!"

"Awesome!" Theo smiled. "Well....as much as I don't want to right now, I should get back to my tent. I want to get some potions brewing before nightfall."

"Oh, is that what all of that's for?" Patton asked, gesturing to Theo's bags.

"Yeah!" He answered excitedly, opening up his satchel and taking out some of the contents. "I make potions for the Alliance, but they sometimes require rare items like these arch flower petals and these water beetle eggs. I have to go to certain locations to get them..."

"Remarkable..." Roman admired the strange looking flora and fauna. "You seem so young, and yet you get to travel wherever you want?" 

"I do! And It's pretty cool! Although...it's been more difficult since the soulless showed up. It takes longer and I have to be more careful."

"Oh god, Isn't that dangerous?" Patton asked worriedly, thinking about Rosie. "...going out there all alone?"

"Haha, you sound like my mother." Theo laughed. "Yeah, it's dangerous. That's one thing you learn about Molidia. It's a dangerous place. But she taught me how to protect myself out here. And besides...the Alliance needs me. We need potions, and I'm the only one here who knows how to make them. Our cause is really important, and I want to do my part."

Patton was still a bit worried for the boy's safety, but he smiled at him, knowing exactly how he felt. 

"You really are brave, kiddo, just like your mom." 

Theo smiled gratefully. He never thought he'd hear such a compliment from one of his idols.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out from across the campfire.

"Ah! Theo, perfect." Captain Krowood smiled at the boy. "I'm glad you've returned safe from your journey. Would you please meet me in my tent? I'd like to fill you in on the plan for tomorrow before you return to your potions."

"Oh! Of course, sir!" Theo replied, scrambling to put his ingredients back into his satchel.

The captain turned to the rest of them. 

"And I'll need the four of you to meet me in my tent afterwards."

"Will do, captain." Roman nodded.

He walked away and Theo turned to the group with a disheartened expression.

"I'm sorry I couldn't chat more, you guys..."

"Aw, that's alright!" Patton smiled. "It was nice meeting you, Theo!" 

"It was nice meeting you too!"

"Yes indeed!" Roman chimed in. "And...thank you for keeping the Alliance alive for us." He winked.

"Oh, O-Of course!" The boy blushed at the compliment.

"Don't let his charm get to you." Virgil side whispered to him. "But in all seriousness, you seem like a smart kid, Keep doing what you're doing around here."

"I will!" Theo nodded. "You can count on me."

"I agree. It was a pleasure getting to know you, Theo, I'm glad we crossed paths." Logan nodded to him. "But don't let us keep you. I'm sure the captain is waiting."

Theo nodded. Looking at all his heroes before him.

"It was...more than amazing meeting you guys. I've...just always wanted to meet you and...well, you all just seem so much greater than I could have imagined...I'm rambling..but I want you to know that I believe in you guys, every step of the way." They could tell he wanted to say more, but he held back, knowing he was short on time. "Well...anyways, I'll probably end up making potions for you to take tomorrow, so... be on the lookout!"

With a final look at the four of them, Theo hurried off after the captain.

 

***

 

That night, Krowood called in the heroes and his two most trusted soldiers, Jess and Armon, to his tent. He stood behind the large map on the table.

"Thank you for coming, everyone." He greeted. "I've summoned you here to discuss tomorrow. I apologize for the late notice, but I couldn't risk one of you getting caught with the information I'm about to give you."

Everyone nodded in understanding, signaling the captain to continue.

"Alright, to begin...Earlier this week, I sent scouts to observe the safe zone perimeter to see what our opposition will be. They've all reported seeing patrols of soulless soldiers on horseback circling the entire perimeter, with nearly 70 to 80 soldiers per patrol. and nearly 50 more covering the most obvious places of entry"

"Geez." Jess exclaimed. "I knew Aldaroth had an unlimited supply of those things...but that's insane. If we still had the same amount of fighters we did a few months ago, it'd be a piece of cake. But we just don't have that kind of power anymore..."

"Unfortunately, Jess, you're right. We don't have as many troops as we used to...It's been a difficult war and we would most likely be wiped out if we stood against an army of that size...However..." He pointed to a spot on the map. "Here proves to be the most promising point of entry. It's a place called Horseshoe Gorge, where the Horseshoe River used to run before it dried up. The canyon isn't very wide, so it doesn't give you four a large window to get across the barrier, but it has high cliffs, a defendable layout, and Aldaroth won't make it a priority to place his troops there. In fact, one of the scouts reported seeing only 30 soldiers stationed there at one point. If we time it right, without the riding patrols, we could hold them off and give you four a chance to run through."

Virgil stared down at the border marked on the map.

"I still can't believe you guys can't come with us..." He shook his head. "How are only four of us supposed to save the world? You guys know what we're doing far more than we do!"

"I know, Virgil...it's a troubling thought for me too." The captain said with a look of guilt in his eyes. "I wish I could aid you further than this, but as you know, none of us can enter the darkness without being corrupted like the other inhabitants. This journey was always meant to be for you...That's why I've had you train here for as long as possible, to get you ready to face the enemy alone...but don't fret..." The captain smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "You four have come so far already. And I believe you have what it takes to stop Aldaroth."

"I do too." Jess added, looking to Armon. "We all do.".

Virgil let out a defeated sigh, choosing pretend he was okay with this. Patton put his arm around his shoulder and patted him on the back.

Logan and Roman leaned over the map, observing the point of entry.

"So..." Logan began. "What's our strategy to get through the army?"

"Ah, I thought you'd never ask." The captain pulled out a set of soldier and cavalry statues, strategically setting them around the map.

 

"Here's what we're going to do."


	17. The Battle of Horseshoe Gorge

"What can you see?" Jess whispered, trying to get a look at their oppositon.

The captain was lying next to her, looking through his spy glass. He observed the wide open field and the cliffs that stood across it in the distance. The scene would have looked completely natural on Earth, despite the ominous, purple and black barrier that cut through the landscape.

He looked near the cliffs, noticing nearly 100 undead soldiers riding on horseback.

"Damn it. A patrol is passing through right now." He replied, lowering his spy glass. "We'll have to wait for them to move on.... If we're lucky, we can get the boys through and ride out of here by the time they come back..."

"Well, here's to hoping." She whispered optimistically, holding her hand out for the spy glass. "Let me have a look."

The rest of the convoy waited in the forest behind them, keeping out of sight.

They brought all the warriors they had left in the Alliance, which only turned out to be 30 young refugees. It wasn't the ideal amount of fighters for such an important mission, but it was better than nothing. 

Before they had left camp that morning, Armon gave the heroes their own personally-tailored, blue and black Alliance armor. It was made of mostly leather, for ideal movement and protection, and displayed the symbol of Eodine on the front. 

Geoff packed them a couple days worth of food to carry on their person, as well as a list of wild plants that were safe to consume. 

Their new friend, Theo, managed to brew a few potions for them the night before. The first one being a basic healing potion, enough for one use. The second being a light potion. It would glow brighter than a torch once the activation powder was added. The third one was an invisibility potion. There was no explanation needed, except the fact that it only worked for a short period of time.

Jess provided Patton, Virgil, and Logan a sword from the Alliance armory. The three of them had received basic sword training after their trip to Eodine's temple in order to be sure they could handle a sword. However, since they had a limited amount of time, that was the extent of their training. They had to focus on other skills, so the rest of the sword training went to Roman. 

Jess also made sure that each of the boys had a dagger to keep in their armor. It was a necessary weapon for any traveler going through dangerous territory. Patton hesitated before taking the weapon... the thought of having to use it was more troubling to him than anything....but after some hard convincing from the others, he eventually accepted it.

The heroes felt slightly more prepared now than they did before, but they still couldn't shake the dreadful thought of leaving the camp for an unknown realm of darkness. 

What would it look like?

What monstrosities would they have to face?

How were they going to find the Goddess springs?

The Alliance didn't have all the answers...and Eodine was still MIA after their chat in the temple. Looks like they had no choice but to have a little faith.

***

The heroes were ordered to hide towards the back, since the sight of them alone would trigger the soulless to attack. 

They sat quietly on the forest floor, trying to pass the time.

Roman was doing his best not to make any noise, but he had a bad habit of humming when he was bored. After many shushes from Logan and the others, he decided to distract himself by silently tapping melodies to some of this favorite songs.

Patton was lying down on his stomach, watching a caterpillar inch across a rocky surface. He kept thinking back to Niko...he was going to miss that lemur. As sad as it was, he tried to think about the positives. By the time he sees him again, maybe he'll have some good news about his friends, right? That was something to look forward to.

Virgil sat against a tree with his knees pulled to his chest. He hated the silence...it allowed his mind to wander too much, making him think about every bad thing that could happen once they step out there. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, just wanting to be home. He felt the ground beneath him and ripped up handfuls of moss, moving the dirt between his fingers to keep him in reality.

Logan crouched next to a tree further up. He tried to get a good look at the canyon to see what they were up against, but it was too far away to notice anything... he debated asking the captain for a look through his spy glass, though knew he'd probably refuse...

Luckily, after a long period of waiting, Jess finally snuck back to deliver the news. The soldiers looked at her anxiously.

"Alright, the patrol has moved on. It's go time everyone...The captain wants you all to get ready. Randall, get these guys their horses." She turned to address the boys. "Remember, keep out of sight and stay back with Armon until we give the signal."

"Got it." Roman affirmed quietly, just happy that he didn't have to wait any longer.

The horses were brought around and everyone mounted up. 

If they weren't nervous before, they were now.

The majority of the army moved toward the edge of the tree-line, waiting for the captain to give them their next command. Only Armon and a few other chosen soliders stayed behind.

"So we're really doing this then?" Virgil asked quietly. "This is really happening...?"

His friends looked at him, secretly sharing the same uncertainty.

"Yep." Roman sighed. "You know... I could really go for a few drinks right now." He laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood. 

"Honestly, I might join you..." Logan muttered under his breath.

Roman leaned forward on his horse, eyeing Logan on the end.

"I heard that!" He looked at him with a big grin on his face. "Did you hear that? Logan just said he'd be willing to drink alcohol with me!"

Logan just rolled his eyes as Roman walked his horse over to stand next to him.

"I'm counting that as a promise. Alright? No buts about it." Roman said, half-seriously. "When we survive this, I'm buying you a round." 

Normally Logan wouldn't make such a promise...but he appreciated what Roman was trying to do.

"Alright, sure..." Logan responded. "We can all go for drinks when this is over."

"Yes!" Roman cheered softly. 

"But..." Logan interjected. "ALL of us have to make it through for that to happen."

Roman smiled, glad to see Logan was playing along. He held his hand out to shake on it.

"You have yourself a deal...Dr. Strange." Roman laughed, entertained by his own joke. 

Logan didn't get it at first... But then he looked down at himself and realized he was literally a nerd wearing a cloak. 

"Ohhh... I get it."

Roman was still laughing by the time the captain called the army into action..

They watched as the Alliance charged out of the tree line with their weapons drawn. They cheered, the ground rumbling as they galloped onto the field.

As soon as they left, Armon brought the heroes to the edge of the forest to wait for the signal.

The captain was at the head of the line, with Jess in close second. On his cue, Jess pulled out her bow, yelling commands to the rest of the army.

"READY!" 

The men and women pulled out their bows and mimicked her, the sound attracting the attention of the undead spirits.

"AIM!"

They pulled their bowstrings back, the arrow tips glimmering in the sunlight. Aldaroth's soulless army began charging full speed, pulling out large, sharp spears.

"FIRE!"

A flurry of arrows were released into the sky, like a flock of birds flying in formation. They arched over the gap and landed on the first line of soldiers. But instead of impaling them, the arrows exploded upon impact, blowing the spirits off their horses and scattering their armor, making it take longer for them to regenerate.

With a strong dent in the opposition, the Alliance collided with the enemy, using their magical weapons to attack and push through the line. The battle became such a mess that Armon and the others couldn't tell what was happening. All they could hear were clangs of metal and shouts that echoed across the landscape.

But as they kept watchings, they noticed a bright green flash in the midst of battle.

"That's the signal!" Armon called out. "Let's move!"

His horse jumped into action, taking off towards the fight. 

The other four followed suit, Patton taking the lead and keeping an eye on Armon. Logan rode right behind him, then Virgil, then Roman, and lastly a few Alliance soldiers to watch their backs.

As they neared the battle field, they saw the Alliance had managed to split the fight, leaving a protected opening for them to ride through. Armon led them right to it, heading for the canyon.

Patton looked at the brave men and women around them... He watched as they fought... some getting stabbed and turning black and others getting blown off their horses, unfortunately crushed under the chaos...

His heart broke at the sight of their deaths...this really was war...

He thought about their families...their friends...their lives.... 

It was all put to risk...just for them?

He quickly wiped his tears away and chose to focus on Armon. Their sacrifice was NOT going to be for nothing.

The soulless noticed their presence as soon as they got to the fight. Their dead eyes glowing as they tried to seize towards them. The Alliance kept most of them occupied, but every now and then one would slip through.

Patton used his shield to block flying spears and arrows coming his way, trying to keep his head down.

Roman pulled out his sword, charging fearlessly toward the enemy and slicing off their heads and limbs like a knife through butter. 

"Oh yeah!" He cheered, slicing through another head. "God I love this thing!"

As Logan guided the reins, he noticed movement in his peripheral. A soldier was riding up next to him. It pulled out a spear and attempted to jab Logan with it. 

He instinctively flinched, before realizing the spear didn't go through...

How is that physically possible?

The soldier is clearly close enough not to miss.

This armor is just normal materials...leather isn't the most protective.

What could it have been?

He looked at his cloak, seeing that it wasn't torn through.

Huh...

The soldier pulled back his spear to try again. 

Logan decided to experiment, holding up the side of his cloak to block the attack.

And just as he thought, the spear was deflected, not a scratch in sight.

Interesting.

The soldier kept attacking, almost like it was getting frustrated.

Logan tried to shake him, but their horses were matching speeds.

He tried to think of a way to get rid of it...pulling out the sword Jess gave him.

He knew full-well that he couldn't pierce the armor with it, so he had to improvise.

Before the spirit had a chance to attack again, Logan quickly sliced low, cutting through the saddle strap on the horse. It slipped off, taking the undead spirit with it as the horse kept running. He had to admit...it was pretty satisfied seeing the soldier rolling on the ground.

Suddenly he sensed a strange rumbling coming from the horizon. 

There, at the edge of the field, was another army of soldiers on black horses. 

It was the patrol from earlier...they must have called them back to support.

They didn't have much time before they were going to be completely swamped.

Logan looked to see everyone's progress. He, Patton, and Virgil were almost to the canyon....but Roman was further back, probably enjoying himself a little too much.

"Damn it, Roman..."

He looked back at Virgil.

Virgil gripped the reins of his horse tightly, keeping his head down and letting the horse do most the work. 

He was doing well at keeping pace with Logan until he was forced to dodge soldiers that broke through the defense.

He could feel the breeze of arrows and spears flying past him, making him flinch as he waited for death.

When was this nightmare going to end?

He suddenly felt a rumble, the same one that Logan had felt. He looked up and saw the reinforcements, his heart dropping in his chest. He was so nervous, his body felt weightless. 

Wait...weightless?

He didn't realize what was happening until he hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of his lungs.....

"F-fuck..." He winced, the world was blurry. He noticed a dark mass lying in the grass a few yards from him.

He sat up slowly, his vision coming back. 

He realized that the dark mass was his horse. She whinnied weakly in distress. 

He moved towards her to comfort her... noticing a weapon pierced in her side...

A black spear. 

"No..." 

He watched as the horse's skin turned black around the wound, expanding to the rest of her body. She neighed painfully as it spread, eventually falling limp.

"Shit...shitshitshit" Virgil drew back in horror. 

A clang of metal rang through his ears, jolting him back into the battlefield. He saw a spray of blood fly through the air as a young man's body fell to the ground next to him. He coughed up blood, looking up at Virgil as the black spread from his torso up into his throat.

"...ru..n.." The man choked with his last breath. Virgil looked up, seeing one of the soulless spirits looking right at him.

Oooh god...ooooh fuck...

The undead spirit got off its horse, approaching him. 

He crawled back as quickly as he could.

Run?!

Where??!

He was in the middle of the battle, there was too many of them!

A few other undead soldiers noticed his presence and began to surround him. 

Fuckfuckfuckfuck

He panicked.

"G-Get the fuck back!" He stuttered, trying to crawl away.

They came closer, reaching out to grab him.

"Virgil, get down!" 

He didn't hesitate. He closed his eyes and ducked down.

After a moment passed, he heard a slicing sound, followed by several thuds. When nothing happened to him...He kept his head down, opening one eye...a soulless's helmet was rolling lifelessly across the ground.

Virgil looked up in disbelief. All of the soldiers that were near him were dead, their armor turning to dust.

"Virgil!" Roman quickly jumped off his horse, running toward him. "Are you alright?"

"I...I uh...I'm..." Virgil looked at Roman like he was seeing a ghost...or an angel.... speechless. 

Roman checked him for obvious injuries, while Virgil kept staring at him in disbelief. 

He...Roman...

He came for me...

Roman figured Virgil must be in shock.

"Alright. Good...you're okay." He helped Virgil stand up. "We need to get out of here. They're closing in fast and we don't have much time to catch up."

Roman grabbed his hand, and Virgil let himself be led...sort of lost in the moment.

His mind was pulled back into focus by a warning sensation pounding in his skull, making him turn around. There was a soldier running up right behind him.

"R-Roman!?" Virgil grabbed his arm tightly.

"Hm...? Oh!"

Roman swiftly pulled Virgil behind him as he caught the spear with his sword. He pushed the spear to the side, making the soldier stumble. He took advantage of its weakness to give it a slash through the torso and cut the spirit in half.

"Wow..." Roman panted, slightly out breath. "Good catch..."

They kept going until they reached Roman's horse. 

Roman got on first, helping Virgil climb on behind him. 

"Now... let's get to that canyon!" He took the reins in his hands. "You ready?"

"Uh..yea-AHH!" Virgil almost fell off the back as the horse took off running. He quickly wrapped his arms around Roman to save himself. 

God, I wish I was home right now.

Virgil hesitantly looked over Roman's shoulder. He noticed that the Alliance no longer had a safe passage for them. Aldaroth's reinforcements had pushed the Alliance's remaining ranks back towards the canyon.

"There's too many of them!" Virgil yelled. "We're not going to make it!"

"We're going to make it!" Roman assured him. "Just hang in there."

He kept the horse at a gallop, slicing through any enemies that got too close. 

"But how are we going to get through that wall of soldiers up ahead? You can't kill all of them!" 

Honestly...Roman didn't have an answer for that. 

But he could already feel Virgil shaking and tightening his grip around his waist. So, the last thing he wanted to do was stress him out more.

Hmm...there has to be a way...

A glint caught Roman's eye.

It was a glimmering arrow. Jess was standing on the top of a large rock, loading another one into her bow. 

"Jess!" Roman waved to her, trying to catch her attention. "Jess! Over here!"

She looked towards the direction of his voice. She noticed the two of them outside the defense circle, immediately seeing the issue. She thought for a moment before aiming her bow at the soldiers in Roman's current trajectory.

After timing it just right, she fired, sending the arrow into a group of spirits. It blew up and sent soldiers flying off of their horses, opening a small hole in the line.

Roman gave her a thankful salute as they reached the new opening. 

The horse jumped, flying over the bodies as it landed safely behind the Alliance's defense.

Roman pulled back on the reins, slowing the horse down to a stop. He slid off the saddle and quickly helped Virgil down. Armon, Patton, and Logan ran up to meet them.

"Thank god you're alright!" Patton cried out, embracing the two of them.

"I'm glad you made it." Armon praised, his gaze shifting to the failing defenses. "But you need to move quickly! We don't have much time!"

The four nodded and Armon led them to the ominous wall between the cliffs.

It was the entrance to the dark realm...They've never been this close to it before. 

There was an absence of light in the barrier, and yet it seemed to glow around the edges. The weirdly pulsating wall reminded them of a dark purple galaxy...or an endless void.

Knowing what had to come next, Roman took a deep breath.

"...I'll go first." He stepped forward, hesitating briefly before marching completely through the barrier. 

The others watched him disappear. When he didn't come back right away, they began to worry.

But after a few moments, Roman leaned his head back out, completely fine.

"It's alright! Come on!"

Virgil followed him in...Patton along with him.

Logan stopped for a moment to shake Armon's hand.

"I just want to say thank you, Armon. You and everyone else...for everything."

"Of course, It's been an honor." Armon grinned, pulling out his sword. "But when this is over, it'll be I who is thanking you. Now go!"

Logan nodded gratefully. Roman ran out of the dark realm to grab Logan's arm. 

"Come on, Specs. You too." He pulled Logan with him.

Before going to the dark realm for good, Logan pulled back, feeling the need to take one last look.

Time slowed down...they saw the undead soldiers breaking through the defense, coming toward them. Jess was still standing on the rock, loading up her last arrow....She wasn't aiming at the enemy though, she was aiming at the top cliff near the barrier. She looked determined, unfazed by the sights of war, like she's been through this before. 

Her gaze fell down to the two of them and her expression softened.

"They aren't going to make it are they?" Roman muttered. 

Logan shook his head, turning away from the fight.

Roman understood and gave Jess one final salute.

 

She smiled as she watched them cross the barrier.


End file.
